


A Place To Belong

by LOTLOF



Category: Elfen Lied, Rosario + Vampire
Genre: Group Sex, Multi, Sexual Content, Violence
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2013-01-29
Updated: 2013-02-17
Packaged: 2017-11-27 11:00:53
Rating: Explicit
Warnings: Graphic Depictions Of Violence, Major Character Death
Chapters: 30
Words: 56,396
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/661223
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/LOTLOF/pseuds/LOTLOF
Summary: <blockquote class="userstuff">
              <p>Youkai Academy can be more than just a High School. It can also be a refuge and a place where second chances are possible.</p>
            </blockquote>





	1. A place to belong

**Author's Note:**

> This is a cross over between Elfen Lied and Rosario Vampire. Contains mature themes as well as some graphic sex and violence.
> 
> This story was originally posted by me on Fanfiction.net in 2010.
> 
> Any of you who enjoy my stories are welcome to read more of them at my website, www.storiesfromlotlof.com

She hung helplessly within the bars of her prison, suspended in a straight jacket and locked away behind a metal helmet. How many years had passed she could not even guess. Her body had grown from a child's into a young woman's so she supposed a number of them had come and gone. In this place one day bled into another, an endless stream of boredom broken up only by the horrors of experiments meant to test what her body could endure. There was no day, no night, it was never spring time or summer or fall or even winter. Christmas never came to this place. Time just was. It would stretch out until the day she finally died and brought all this pain to a final end.

Hanging in her cage she thought about the same thing she always did; her time with Kouta. She recalled those sweet summer days, the only time in her bleak existence when she had been truly happy. She remembered the sad melody that had been playing from a music box he held and the excited way he had told her that her horns were, 'cool.' She remembered games of tag and hide and seek and walks through the woods as he drew landscapes. She remembered that wondrous trip to the zoo and her astonishment at how big an elephant could be. She'd gotten to spend a day at the zoo as just another ordinary child and it had been the best day of her life.

All those happy moments had been because of Kouta.

He was the only one to ever look at her like a person rather than as a horned freak. She had loved him for that, really loved him in that special way only children could. A simple pure love that just was and that asked for nothing in return. She had loved him and when she'd caught him in a lie the pain she'd felt at his betrayal had driven her mad. She'd deliberately slaughtered his sister and father right before his eyes just to hurt him. She hadn't touched him though; even in her madness she could never bring herself to physically hurt him. She would have killed his cousin too, but the sight of his tears and the realization of what she had done to him brought her back to sanity.

Why? Why had she done that? Why had she intentionally hurt him like that when he had been so kind to her? Even if he had lied and betrayed her did that cancel out all the joy he'd given her? Why couldn't she have just forgiven him or simply walked away? Why had she felt the need to take away what he loved?

Maybe I really am a monster like they say, she thought. The only thing she wanted, her sole dream, was to escape this place so that she could be with Kouta once more. If she could be with him again she would devote herself to protecting him and making him happy. Even if he could not forgive her she would dedicate her life to trying to make up for what she'd done.

"Is that what you truly want?"

The voice took her off guard. When the guards locked her in here and turned the lights down they usually didn't come back for hours. The lights were still low and the screeching sirens that always preceded the heavy doors opening had not sounded. Looking down she was shocked to see a man in white robes standing less than two meters from her inside the perimeter of her cage. His eyes seemed to be glowing and he was dressed like a priest not like a guard. He was completely out of place and she couldn't begin to guess how he had gotten there without her noticing.

The details didn't matter any. Everyone here was her enemy; she would gladly kill them all if she could. She reached out with her vectors to tear this man apart. She gasped when they hit some invisible barrier a foot in front of him and were halted.

"How?"

The odd priest tapped a gold rosario with a red center piece and smiled. "You are not the only one with special gifts."

"Who are you?" She demanded. Her voice was muted with a faint echo coming from within her helmet.

"I am someone who helps those who are called monsters find a place in this world controlled by humans. I have come here to try and help you as well."

"If you want to help me get me out of this cage and through those doors."

"If I did that what would you do next?" He asked her.

"I'd kill every last human I ran into until I was free."

"And after that?" He prompted.

She stared at the strange man through the red glass of her helmet. "I'd try and find someone."

"Kouta?"

She began to think this had to be some type of bizarre dream. No one here knew about Kouta. He was her salvation, her long cherished hope that gave her reason to keep living. She would never tell them about him. They would have just used the information to try and invent some new torture for her.

"How do you know about Kouta?"

"I can see many things Lucy," he told her. "Even dreams and heartfelt wishes. I know what is in your heart. You long for acceptance, peace, love; in truth you don't want to kill."

"You're wrong, I'm a Diclonius, a monster, and killing is what I was made for. It's my nature. If you don't believe me just ask any of the guards here."

"Do you know what, 'monster' is Lucy? It's a word created by humans a long time ago to describe anything that they feared and could not understand. There are races other than man on this world, just as ancient, just as civilized, and just as entitled to life. The difference is that most other races aren't taught to fear and hate anything that they do not understand. It is a catch all phrase that does not specifically refer to nay one specific creature or race. In essence the word 'monster' could just as easily be replaced with, 'everything feared and not understood by man.' There is no connotation of evil in that, no suggestion of savagery or murderous intent. Being Diclonius makes you just that; a Diclonius. A race different from man, but not necessarily better or worse than man. You are intelligent and have free will; killing is a choice not a part of your nature."

She wasn't sure what she was supposed to say to that. Everyone who'd known what she was had labeled her as either a monster or a freak. The scientists here all insisted it was her nature to kill. She had never seen any reason to question that.

"Even if I didn't want to I would still have to kill humans. It's the only way to make a place for myself."

The man shook his head. "There are more than six billion humans in the world; do you really think you can kill them all? Violence is not the answer. All it leads to is more violence. If you wish to survive the only option is coexistence, learning how to blend in among them."

She laughed a bitter resentful laugh. "I have a couple horns sticking out of head! How could I ever blend in?"

"There are ways," he assured her. "In your case it is actually simple. You have no tail, no scales, no fur, no hooves, no claws, no wings, nothing but those horns mark you. In every other way you appear a perfectly normal human girl. Horns can be broken off and kept filed down. If you truly want to pass as human it can be done."

She'd known about keeping her horns hidden or course, but had never considered a more permanent solution. If she really could get rid of her horns then maybe she could pretend to be one of them.

"If you don't want me to kill humans then what do you want?"

"Come with me to a sanctuary where you will be safe and where you can learn how to fit into human society. The Diclonius race is a new one upon the Earth and I would like to help it survive. Unlike others you have the burden of being a known quantity, a scientific fact. Without outside help your race faces genocide. Let me help, come with me and learn a different way of life. If you can do that I can promise you what you want the most."

"What I want most is to be with Kouta."

"I know."

Yes, it had to be a dream. Escaping this place and going somewhere safe to be with Kouta could only happen in a dream.

"All right, sure why not."

XXX

The next morning when the vault door opened the guards found the cell empty except for her straight jacket and helmet. She had vanished without a trace.

XXX

Kouta was on a school bus headed to some place called Youkai Academy. He was 16 years old. Ever since the deaths of his father in an accident and his little sister from illness he had been bounced around from one set of relatives to another. For a long time he had suffered from nightmares and had trouble sleeping. He had been listless and had difficulty making himself care about school work or anything else. There were large gaps in his memory and sometimes for no reason he would get scared if he was all alone. With his poor grades his relatives had been worried about what to do with him for High School.

Then from out of the blue he'd received a full scholarship to a private school that included three years room and board. To his relatives it had been a godsend and to him it had been a chance for a fresh start somewhere new.

The bus came out of some weird tunnel and arrived at a stop with a weird scarecrow by a bench. One person was standing there waiting.

"Good luck young man," the bus driver said as he stepped off. "Youkai can be a scary place."

"Uh, thanks."

As soon as the bus pulled away the person at the bench took a nervous step towards him. When he got a clear look at her his breath caught and he had a momentary bout of panic as he sometimes did. Thankfully it passed quickly and he didn't think the girl had noticed. He had no idea why the sight of such a pretty girl would make him react like that, there was certainly nothing scary about her. She was dressed in the female equivalent of the school uniform he ws wearing. She had long red hair and red eyes. She was a real beauty. As she approached him she looked more nervous than he felt.

"Hello Kouta," she said in a low voice her eyes looking at the ground to escape his.

"Hello," he answered and held out his hand. "Are you my guide?" When she looked up at him he got the oddest sense they'd met before. For some reason he heard a sad tune playing in his head. It was strange since he'd never heard that song before.

She reached out and took his hand. "That's right, my name is Lucy and I'm going to show you around and explain some of the special rules about this place. It… it may seem scary and you may feel like a freak some times, but I promise you that you're not alone here. I'll stand by your side and be there for you no matter what. I hope that we can be very close… friends."

"Any chance we can be more than friends?" He asked her as a joke.

He saw her blush. "If… if you want."

He wasn't sure just what kind of school it was or what sort of experience the next three years were going to be like, but right then he wouldn't have wanted to be anywhere else in the entire world.


	2. The rules

The Academy was actually a couple miles from the bus stop. As the two of them walked along a dirt trail they began to talk. Kouta was looking about at the scenery a bit apprehensively. The woods to either side of the trail could best be described as 'spooky.' There was little underbrush or grass while the trees all looked lifeless and in a slow state of decay. The fact they kept passing small graveyards complete with tombstones and even skulls didn't help.

"What sort of place is this for a school?" Kouta asked. Each time he spotted another grave marker he felt a panic attack coming on. He had to keep taking deep breaths and reminding himself it was okay or else he would collapse. He didn't want to do that in front of Lucy, especially not now on his first day.

"Youkai Academy is a very… special school. Everything about it is unique from its location to its rules and its students and teachers." Lucy spoke with great care measuring each word. He needed to understand things before they arrived at school and met their classmates. She understood though that she had to be delicate with her explanation. She didn't want to panic him. To some degree there was no avoiding that, when he heard the truth he would start to panic. Her job was to keep him at least calm enough to get through this first day without revealing himself either to the faculty or the student body.

She was finding that harder to do than she'd expected because her heart was racing and she was having to fight down her own instincts. All she could think about was wrapping herself around him and crying out, 'Kouta I love you!' 'Kouta how I've missed you!' She didn't dare do it of course. The Chairman had warned her that any sudden reminder of their past connection might cause him to remember. He'd explained that Kouta had suffered a mental breakdown that had lasted more than a year. He'd slowly recovered by suppressing all the memories that had been too traumatic to bear. He'd convinced himself that his father had been killed in an auto accident and that his little sister had died of an illness. The state of his mind remained fragile and those memories remained locked inside him, only waiting for the right key to release them.

It was Lucy's most fervent wish that they stay hidden forever. While she would have liked to reminisce with him about the happy times they'd shared that feeling paled beside her fear that if he ever remembered he would hate her. What she had instead was a fresh start. Another chance to be with him and do things right. She would love and protect him with every ounce of her being and be honest with him.

At least as honest as she could be.

"Should I call you sempai?"

"What?" She was snapped back out of her thoughts.

"I was just wondering if I should call you Lucy-sempai."

"No, I'm a first year like you. This is my first day at the academy too."

"You're a freshman too?" He asked in surprise. "Then why are you my guide?"

"This is my first day as a student," she explained. "I've actually been living in a private residence here for the last six months getting a crash course on academics and other things I'd missed out on. I know the academy grounds better than most anyone and I understand all the special rules that will apply to you. I was chosen by the Chairman who runs the academy to be your guide, advisor, and protector. Any questions you have or anything you need help with come to me and I promise to take care of it."

"A bodyguard?" He asked with a smile. "You don't look very tough."

"You might be surprised," she told him solemnly.

"Why would I need a bodyguard anyway? I mean is this school dangerous or something? To be honest I don't know anything about this place. I got a letter in the mail one day saying I'd been awarded a scholarship that would cover all my expenses and that I would have to stay here until I graduated. I was so amazed that someone like me could even get into a private school I jumped at the chance before they changed their mind. Honestly I still have no idea what I am doing here."

"You should think of yourself as an exchange student," she told him. "You're here as a part of an experiment between cultures. You were deliberately brought here to help foster peace and understanding."

She watched him mouth the words 'peace and understanding.'

"I'm afraid you've completely lost me. How can I be an exchange student when we're still in Japan? I don't know anything about cultures I just want to go to school, make friends, and maybe get a girlfriend. I'm not worrying about anything else."

His mention of getting a girlfriend sent a rush through her body. She would have loved to have talked to him some more on that subject. Unfortunately she needed to start filling him in on the harsh realities of this place.

"Kouta there is a lot more to this school than just getting good grades and meeting people. There are special rules and circumstances that I need to explain to you."

"You keep mentioning special rules," he said. "You mean like the one about not leaving until graduation?"

"That's one of the milder ones yes."

"Okay, well I'm listening."

She took a deep breath. "First off, Youkai Academy is not a school for regular people. It's a school for monsters."

He stopped and tilted his head at her and looked worried. "Monsters? What you mean like delinquents, gang members? Is this some kind of reform school? Did I get sent here because of my problems?" He found himself gasping for air and feeling light headed.

"Are you all right?" She reached over and put a hand on his arm to steady him.

The moment passed and was able to stay on his feet. "I'm fine. So is that what this place is? A special High School for screw ups out in the middle of nowhere?"

"No Kouta, when I say it's a school for monsters I mean monsters, vampires, werewolves, and goblins those sorts of monsters."

It was obvious by the way he was looking at her that he not only didn't believe her but he had no idea what to say to that.

"You don't believe me," she wasn't surprised. She was just glad that he at least hadn't panicked yet.

"Heh, well no, are you actually being serious?"

She didn't want to do it. Yet she had to for his own sake. He had to believe her or else he would be in serious danger of revealing himself once they arrived. As gently as she could she sent out two vectors and took careful hold of him. She lifted him five feet into the air. As he was raised up off the ground his eyes bulged and he began making a wheezing sound.

"Do you believe me now?"

Before he could form a response his body went limp as he passed out.

XXX

When he came to his first reaction was to shout and try and run from her. For one horrible instant she thought he'd remembered her and was running because she was a killer. It came as a relief when she realized he was only trying to run because she was a monster. She held him in place with her vectors long enough to convince him that she was not going to hurt him and for him to calm down enough for her to explain the situation.

Over the next 15 minutes she told him how Youkai Academy was a school where monsters were educated and prepared for a life within human society. It was a place dedicated to the philosophy of coexistence and taught through a process of total submersion. Everyone there would appear in human disguise and act as a human at all times. Students were forbidden to reveal their true natures even to one another. The school was isolated within a magical barrier that kept it hidden from human sight. Secrecy was strictly enforced; any human discovered on school grounds would be executed.

"Executed?!"

Lucy nodded. "That's right; the official form of execution is to be publicly burned at the stake. That's if you aren't just killed out of hand. There's no trial or chance for mercy, here at Youkai just being human is a capital offense."

"Then why was I invited here?" He wailed.

"It's like I said, you're here as part of a cultural exchange to try and further peace and understanding. Every school year the Chairman who runs this Academy arranges for one human being to attend this place in secret. It's an experiment to try and gauge how humans would react to knowledge that monsters are real and to help determine how best to relate to them. No one but the Chairman knows who they are; if any of them are discovered by the students or staff he makes no effort to rescue them."

"So even though he knows who I am and he deliberately brought me here he's let me be burned alive?"

"That's right Kouta, I know how cruel that sounds but this place couldn't exist unless the different races were convinced no humans knew about it. If they thought otherwise no one would attend."

"How about I just go?" He asked desperately. "I'll take the next bus or I can just walk out of here."

Lucy shook her head. "It's already too late for that; you know what this place is now. If you leave now the Chairman won't be able to trust you to keep the secret. He'll kill you or send someone to kill you."

"So I'm trapped here?"

"It's not that bad Kouta, honestly. This place is run exactly like a real High School would be. Most of the students who graduate go on to attend a genuine human college or find work among humans. In most ways it is just another school, so long as you keep your identity secret you'll be safe. And like I said before I'll always be there to guide and watch out for you."

"What is your part in all this?" He asked sounding suspicious.

"I just want to be your friend Kouta," she told him. She released her vectors and he was free again. "Whatever happens I swear I will never hurt you, I'd rather die than hurt you."

The way she said it he believed her. "Why would you care about a stranger?"

Because we're not strangers and because I love you Kouta. "I have my reasons Kouta, but I can't tell them to you. Now come on, if we don't hurry we'll be late for the opening ceremonies."

He looked down the long and gloomy road. "What if I don't come with you? What if I head in the other direction?"

"I won't try and stop you and I won't kill you, but if you leave now you'll be dead within 24 hours. You can leave if you want or you can stay and trust in me. It's your choice." She turned and walked away from him.

He stood there watching her go. He looked at the direction they'd come from and carefully considered everything she'd told him. After about a minute he picked up his luggage and hurried to catch up to her.

XXX

He was not surprised when following eh ceremonies he and Lucy wound up in the same homeroom. The teacher who greeted them and the rest of the class was a slightly ditzy looking blonde with tufts of hair that resembled cats ears named Nekonome. She soon began going over the same rules that Lucy had outlined to him. Hearing it from a second person, from a sensei, and the calm way the students listened to it drove the lesson even further home.

When she got to the part about killing any humans who were discovered here she and he class had a good laugh.

"Excuse me!" a girl's voice called from the hall. "I got lost after the ceremonies and was late coming here."

"That's all right dear," Nekonome-sensei informed her. "Just come in and take a seat."

As soon as she entered the classroom the male students all gasped.

"Wow!"

"What a beauty!"

"She's gorgeous!"

"What's your name?" A boy in back called out.

The girl laughed. She was tan and had long platinum blonde hair. Unlike every other student there she was not dressed in a school uniform. Instead she had on what looked like a gown that might have been worn to a prom or a cotillion. She wore several pieces of jewelry including a silver cross on one ear that had a blue center piece on it.

"Hello everyone!" She sang out in a musical voice. "My name is Shuzen Kahlua, and I'm a vampire! Please be nice to me or I'll have to kill you all!"

Kouta stiffened in his seat and wondered if he should have made a run for it when he had the chance.


	3. A normal student

"Hello everyone!" She sang out in a musical voice. "My name is Shuzen Kahlua, and I'm a vampire! Please be nice to me or I'll have to kill you all!"

The entire class stared back at her. Her bloodthirsty words were completely at odds with the friendly face and open smile they were seeing. She certainly didn't seem like and S-class monster.

"Ah, Shuzen-chan," Nekonome spoke with a disapproving wag of her finger. "It's not nice to threaten to kill your fellow students, especially when you're just meeting them. Also you are not supposed to tell anyone what sort of monster you are. It's against the school rules."

"Oh! I'm very sorry sensei," she gave her teacher an elegant bow. "I didn't know we weren't supposed to tell. I also promise to only kill people who are being mean."

Nekonome blinked at her. "Well, that's good I suppose. Why aren't you dressed in your school uniform? Didn't you receive it on time?"

"I threw it out," she explained. "Green isn't my color."

Nekonome shook her head. "You have to wear a school uniform while attending classes, it's another rule."

"I'll wear one tomorrow! Promise!" She said with a bright smile.

"Well, alright then, go ahead and take any empty seat Shuzen-chan."

Despite her odd introduction few of the boys in class were put off and called to her inviting her to sit near them. For his part Kouta started at her in much the same way he might have stared at a wolf that suddenly crossed his path. Was this girl really a vampire? She certainly didn't look dangerous. Then again neither did Lucy. For some reason even though most all the boys were trying to draw her attention she looked at him. She deliberately gave him a friendly smile and a quick wave before sitting down in a seat a couple rows over from him.

This little interaction definitely did not go unnoticed as several boys sent warning looks his way. Kouta sank down in his seat and did his best to go unnoticed. Once again he was wondering if he should have run when he had the chance.

In the seat right behind him Lucy frowned. What the hell was that about? She sent an unhappy look not at Kouta but at the girl in her seat. In her six months studying under the Chairman and his assistants Lucy had learned about the different monster races. Vampires were considered among the most powerful of all. They were among the handful designated as S-rank and they were feared even by their fellow monsters. The last thing Kouta needed was to draw the attention of a vampire.

Besides, Lucy thought. She looks like a total slut.

XXX

Following homeroom they were released to acquaint themselves with the campus. Classes would begin tomorrow. As soon as she stepped outside the class Kahlua was mobbed by the boys who all wanted to get to know her better. Lucy was pleased to get Kouta away without any further incident.

"I'll show you around the school and then take you to the boys' dorm," she told him.

"Okay," he said sheepishly.

As they walked through the crowded halls they kept passing other students. He looked at them carefully trying to discern anything that might be unusual or supernatural about them. One or two seemed a little too tall or disproportioned. One girl had skin with a slight greenish tint to it. One boy had a smile that stretched from ear to ear… literally. Yet even they only looked a bit weird, certainly not monstrous. If any of them had gone to any of the schools he'd attended they'd have been teased without mercy, but no one would have thought them inhuman. While most everyone he passed did look totally normal.

"Something wrong Kouta?"

He looked over at her. Lucy was a totally beautiful girl. If he had met her in middle school last year he wouldn't have even tried talking to her as she would have been out of his league. There was no way for him to forget the feel of her invisible hands picking him up off the ground though. She was definitely no ordinary girl.

"Are all these people really monsters. All of them?" He asked in a low voice.

"Of course," she answered. "I already told you that and what the teacher said should have confirmed it for you."

"I know, it's just that they all look so normal."

"That's all thanks to disguise spells," she told him. "It's a very simple magic that almost all monsters can use."

"So they only look normal, right? Underneath they're…"

"Underneath they're still normal,' Lucy told him a bit sharply.

"But… but aren't they monsters?" He was careful to keep his voice low. "Aren't they all scary and disgusting?" He was surprised at the angry look she gave him. He'd only been asking a question.

"They're whatever God made them," Lucy told him. "Don't confuse, 'human' with 'normal.' Everyone here was born as what they are; nobody had any say in it. How exactly does being born with a tail or wings or… or horns automatically make you not normal? If a couple of goblins have a child it would only be 'normal' for that child to be born a goblin wouldn't it?"

"I guess it would," he replied in a small voice.

"Normal is relative, normal changes with the circumstances. If you were suddenly brought to a school in the middle of the Congo do you think you'd still be normal? This is a school for monsters Kouta, that means you're the strange one, not them, here at least they're the normal ones."

"I know that! Don't you think I know that? I could be killed just because of what I am! I know that and it freaks me out. It's all I can do not to run away or pass out. Look I apologize for offending you, honestly I didn't mean to. I'm just trying to adjust, okay?"

I could be killed just because of what I am! She remembered her time in the research facility and how she and others like her were tortured and killed just because they were born as something other than human. Now Kouta was facing the same kind of mindset where his life had no value just because of what he was. Of course he would be having a hard time accepting it.

"No, I'm sorry Kouta. You're right, it's a fair question. It just bothered me to hear you say something like that. I mean, do you… do you not see me as normal?"

"Well, no, not really. I mean you have powers how can I see you as normal?"

"I see," she answered with a lump in her throat.

"Maybe that'll change though," he added. "I mean I really do get your point about what's normal being relative. I don't think you're a bad person Lucy, and I definitely want us to be friends."

"I want that too Kouta."

XXX

She took him all around the school. She showed him the library, the gymnasium, the pool, the book store, the cafeteria, and all the other points of interest.

"Tomorrow I'll show you where all your classes are," she told him.

"You don't have to bother; I mean I don't want to inconvenience you more than I have to."

"Oh it's no bother Kouta; I have the exact same schedule you do."

"I don't suppose that's a coincidence," he said.

"I can't watch out for you if I'm somewhere else."

"Do you resent having to do all this for me?" He asked. "I mean you're a freshman too, it must be a real annoyance to have to spend all this time with me." He was surprised when she looked at him startled.

"Never! Kouta, trust me on this spending time with you will never, ever be an annoyance to me. Don't ever think that."

For the first time since feeling her invisible arms lifting him he relaxed enough to smile at her. "Am I really that charming?"

She felt her face getting warm and looked down at her feet. "Something like that," she mumbled.

The last place on the tour was the dorm. The boys' and girls' dorms were lined up across from each other. To Kouta the buildings looked like run down concrete slums.

"Is this place even safe? It looks like forty year old public housing!"

"That's just one the outside," Lucy assured him. "Inside the rooms and halls are all in good shape and have all the modern conveniences. You even get to have your own room though it may be a little small. The run down look is just décor, monsters like buildings that appear a bit decayed."

"Wait, so you think this looks good?"

She shook her head. "No, I think it looks like crap."

He looked at her questioningly.

"I was brought up in the human world so I have a human's taste in things."

"Really? Where?"

Kamakura, the place where you and your family used to go for the summers. Of course she couldn't tell him that. If she did he would ask more questions that might lead to dangerous territory. "I grew up in an orphanage in Kyoto."

"Really? What's Kyoto like?"

I have no idea, I've never been there. She suddenly realized that she couldn't tell him very much about her past. She didn't want him feeling sorry for her and she was afraid of accidentally telling him something that might trigger a memory. There are so many things we can't talk about! "It's nice. Listen I have to go but I'll meet you outside your dorm tomorrow morning and we can walk to class together."

"Okay," he said.

She found just walking away from him to be very hard. She didn't want to leave his side for even a second. "And he's worried I'll get tired of his company," she muttered to herself. He had no idea, and the frustrating thing was that was how it had to stay.

XXX

The Chairman's mansion was about two miles from the main part of the Academy. Behind eight foot high brick walls a number of dark suited men walked the perimeter. Regular students and even most of the faculty were forbidden to enter without an invitation. Lucy was able to walk through the main gate without even nodding to the guards. Until today she had lived here and until she graduated she would still have cause to come here often. She was just one of a number of assistants who helped the Chairman with various tasks. Lucy knew a few of the others and suspected there were plenty more she didn't know. She also suspected there were a lot more activities going on behind the scenes than she knew about.

After everything he had done for her Lucy was certain that the Chairman was a good man. She believed that he truly did want to help her and that he desired a world where monsters and humans could peacefully coexist. That wasn't the same as saying he was necessarily a kind man. He had his own objectives and pursued them in whatever manner he thought expedient. As he'd made clear to her when all this began he was doing it for his own reasons, not out of some altruistic desire to help either her or Kouta. While she was quite willing to serve him she still did not completely trust him. She was ready to carry out his orders, but only to a point.

For her Kouta would always come before everything else.

"And how was your reunion?" He asked when she was at last ushered into his office. He always liked being informal with people, even his subordinates. She sometimes got the impression that he was laughing at all of them from behind his glowing eyes. He often asked questions only to provide the informer with detail they had missed. He used people to spy even though he often knew more than they did. Then sometimes he would be surprised by a piece of news. It was impossible to guess just how much and what sorts of things he knew.

"It was just fine, like you said he didn't recognize me," she said. "He fainted when I showed him my vectors but he finally came around."

"No problem passing him off as another student then?"

"No, he fit in fine."

The Chairman sent her one of those smug smiles of his, the ones that made her imagine that he was laughing on the inside. "So he didn't draw any special attention from anyone?"

Lucy immediately thought of that weirdo vampire and the little look she passed him.

"No, nothing unusual happened at all."

"Well that's good to hear," the Chairman replied giving no indication at all if he suspected Lucy was being less than totally honest. "Let's hope it stays that way for the next three years. I would hate to see Kouta burned at the stake."

"I would never let that happen," she told him. "Even if he were found out I would still protect him."

"All that means is that you would die too."

"That would be fine," she replied. "I can't imagine a better way to die than protecting the only person I love."

XXX

Lucy had been right. The inside of the dorm was well lit and clean. The room was a bit small but not too bad. It even came with a mini fridge and a small kitchenette with an electric stove top, microwave, and sink. The biggest disappointment was that he would have to use the communal bath at the end of the hall. The room also came with a footlocker, a futon, and a desk with a single chair. That was the limit of the furnishings.

"Good enough," he declared once he'd gotten his things put away. Having spent the day running all around campus he was now pretty hungry and ready to go down stairs to the dorm's cafeteria. As he was about to leave there was a polite knock on his door.

He immediately figured it had to be Lucy, he hadn't even spoken to anyone else yet. He opened the door.

It wasn't Lucy.

Instead there was a vampire standing there smiling at him. "Hi!" Kahlua said in her melodic voice. "Want to have a bite?"


	4. A bite

Kouta looked about at his surroundings nervously. I shouldn't have agreed to this, he thought. I should have made some excuse and said no. When he'd opened his door to find the strange 'vampire' standing there he'd freaked out and started wheezing and shaking.

XXX

"You okay?" The girl had looked concerned.

"Fi… fine," he gasped and managed to stop shaking and bring his ragged breathing back under control. The attacks had been getting much better and coming on him less and less. The doctors had assured him that before long he would stop being afflicted with them. Since this morning though they'd come back with a vengeance. Gee, I wonder why. As he gathered himself he noticed that quite a few boys were standing in the hallway or peeking their heads out of doors looking at him. Or more specifically they were looking at the girl. He didn't like drawing so much attention.

"That's good!" She chirped brightly. "So you want to?"

He drew his focus away from all the prying eyes and back towards the girl standing right in front of him. "I'm sorry, want to what?"

"Get a bite silly!" She reached out and snagged his arm dragging him out of his room and into the hall with her. For a girl she was surprisingly strong. "It's always more fun to eat with someone!" She wrapped both her arms around his and leaned close giggling playfully.

To everyone watching it seemed they knew each other quite well. Kouta could see frowns appear on stunned faces and dark looks were being sent his way.

He gulped nervously and tried to gently pull away from her. "Ah, thank you for the offer, but wouldn't you rather eat with someone who's not a stranger?" Despite his best efforts he couldn't get his arm free.

"Oh that's okay! After we eat we won't be strangers! Anyway I already like you." Kouta stiffened as the strange girl brought her face to his neck. She sniffed at him quite audibly. "You smell yummy! I just want to eat you up!"

I'm not even wearing cologne right now. She had spoken loudly enough for everyone one to hear and Kouta could see faces turning uglier by the second. He decided that anything was better than just standing there. "Ah, all right then, let's get something to eat."

"Yay!" She quickly dragged him away and down the stairs not letting go of him for even a second.

XXX

When she'd led him away he'd naturally assumed it would be to go and eat at either the boys' or girls' cafeteria. Instead though she led him onto a path heading away from the dorms and into the nearby woods. Lucy hadn't shown him anything beyond the campus itself or even mentioned what else might be in the area.

"Where are we going?" He asked nervously.

"To my house," she answered.

"Wait, you have a house? Don't you live in the dorms like everyone else?"

Her laughter was as sweet and light as morning sunshine. "No silly! Me in a dorm? Where would I keep all my clothes? And where would Gorak and Antoinette sleep?"

"Who are Gorak and Antoinette?"

"My servants," she told him. "Technically they belong to daddy, but he lets me use them."

"You have servants?"

"Sure do."

"And a house?"

She nodded. "There are a bunch of houses where the faculty all live. I made them give me one that belonged to a gym teacher. I think his name was Kotsu or something, he's living at the dorms now."

Sure enough, when the path they were on came out of the woods there was a community with similar houses and front yards all in neat little rows. A few of the teachers were outside and watched as Kahlua dragged him along one of the sidewalks. Eventually they came to a stop in front of one of the houses.

"This is where I live! Isn't it just darling?"

To Kouta's eyes it should have been condemned. They brick walls had several major cracks and were caked not only with dirt and scum but some kind of greenish yellow mold. The chimney had collapsed and the roof was missing a number of tiles. The front yard was overrun with weeds and even had a couple tombstones!

"It's definitely interesting," he said and decided to leave it at that.

Kahlua nodded vigorously as though he'd been agreeing with her.

XXX

That was how he'd landed in this situation.

He was sitting at a table loaded down with different dishes. The cooking was not Japanese but western fare. Not that he had any complaints! There was steak, mashed potatoes, baked chicken, stuffing, pork chops, lasagna, and much more besides. It wasn't just dinner it was a veritable feast! It was all superbly cooked and just smelling all those wonderful aromas had driven him the point he was really hungry.

He decided it would be rude of him not to eat when she had obviously gone to so much trouble. He took a seat and began to chow down. It was all delicious and part of the reason he didn't try to leave sooner.

What was bothering him was the way he was being observed. Kahlua sat next to him and never took her eyes from him; she acted as though there were nothing else in the entire room but him. What bothered him even more was the silent presence of her servants. The two of them stood there in the room observing him and waiting to perform whatever task might be required. Physically they were a perfect mismatch. Gorak was short and bulky. He stood not quite five feet tall yet had thick arms and chest that reminded him of what a blacksmith might have looked like. He wasn't what anyone would normally consider handsome either. He had a fat face with small beady eyes and large hooked nose and thick puffed up lips that took up too much of his face. His skin had a grayish cast to it and there were boils on the side of his face and on the back of his hands. Antoinette on the other hand had a model's face with pale blue eyes and long lustrous hair that was the color of spun gold. She towered over Gorak but likely weighted less. She had a dancer's body with long supple legs and a classic hourglass figure. They were both dressed in western servant clothes. Gorak was in a tuxedo with a black tie. Antoinette had on a French maid uniform that only came halfway down her thighs. Both of them wore black leather collars around their necks with a gold buckle stamped with the image of a bat in flight above a pair of crossed swords.

Kahlua saw his interest in the collars and explained. "Those are signs that they belong to my father and to House Akashia. Daddy says in the old days they would be branded but not anymore. Daddy says branding the slaves always brought down their resale value."

He gawked at her and again had to fight off a panic attack. "You… you mean they're slaves?"

She nodded. "That means that you can trust them because they know their lives are in my hands. I can kill them and daddy won't say anything." She sent the two of them a wide smile and both servants lowered their eyes obediently. "Garak's a goblin and Antoinette's an elf, oooooh I wasn't supposed to tell you that was I? I broke a rule. Naughty Kahlua! You won't tell anyone will you?" She leaned forward a bit, her face expectant.

"No," he assured her. "I won't tell anyone."

"Oh that's good," she replied. She suddenly leaned all the way across and put her lips to his ear. "If you keep my secrets I'll keep yours," she whispered.

"Secrets?" He said weakly. "I don't have any secrets."

"Uh, uh!" She wagged a finger in his face. "Don't tell lies! That's naughty!" She was looking at him closely with her honey colored eyes. "You don't have to lie Kouta-kun. I said I'd keep your secrets."

"I don't have any secrets," he repeated and felt like squirming.

"Liar liar pants on fire!" She sang out as a child might. She waved a hand at her servants and they left without a word. "You can trust them Kouta-kun, just like you can trust me. Kahlua is a good girl!"

"I don't understand what I'm supposed to trust any of you with," Kouta said.

Kahlua slid out of her seat and into his lap. She wrapped her arms around his shoulders and again pressed her face to his neck. "You smell so yummy Kouta-kun, so much better than anyone else here. You smell like caramel dipped in cow's blood."

He was nervous and frightened and also extremely turned on. She was scary and probably insane but she was also beautiful. He had never really talked much with girls, never even been on a date. Now he had a blonde goddess sitting on his lap telling him he was yummy. She bounced up and down in childish glee and kicked her feet back and forth. The motion caused friction in the most interesting of places and Kouta couldn't help but enjoy this new sensation. When he felt her tongue begin to lick the side of his throat he let out a slight groan.

The sound of his pleasure seemed to heighten her interest and she pressed herself closer still. He could feel her lips on his neck giving him a little kiss.

Then he felt her fangs. "OW!" He cried out at the sudden pain. "Ow! Ow!! Stop! Stop it! That HURTS!"

Her fangs released just long enough for her to speak two words. "I'm sorry."

Then she bit him again even more savagely.

He screamed and tried to push her away. He got out of his seat but she held on to him no matter what he did. He fell to the floor hitting her with his fists and screaming as she continued to bite him.

At last it was too much and he passed out.


	5. First day

Beep… Beep…. Beep…

Kouta slowly opened his eyes to stare up at a white popcorn ceiling. It didn't look familiar. He felt tired and thirsty and his hands and feet were cold. He looked about and noticed her was lying on a futon. He also noticed a cheap clock radio with 6:04 in sullen red lights. It was the source of the annoying sound. He reached out tiredly with one hand and slapped about the top of it until the alarm finally shut off.

As he did that his weary mind noticed his arm was wearing a green sleeve. With an effort he pulled the covers down and saw he was dressed in a wrinkled school uniform. He was even still wearing his tie and shoes. Oh that's right, I'm at that school now, he remembered.

Then he remembered the rest.

"Aaaaaah!" He sat bolt upright and slapped a hand to his neck. The memory of that girl and of pain were suddenly clear as day.

He struggled out of the futon and to his feet. The sky outside was just starting to lighten but it was enough for him to make out the things in his room. He shuffled over to the medicine cabinet set in the far wall by the sink. He fumbled for the light switch and blinked when they came on. The mirror on the cabinet gave him a clear image of his face and neck. He pulled down his shirt collar and examined his throat.

To his surprise and relief there was nothing there. No bite marks, no cuts, and no bruises, there wasn't even any sign of blood on his skin or clothes.

"What the hell?" He muttered. While he was glad to not be wounded his memories of last night were way too sharp to dismiss as a dream. The pain had been to sharp, too real to be anything else. He could remember screaming and trying to fight her off as she just kept holding on to him and biting. He'd really thought he was going to die. Touching his neck with his fingers he found it wasn't even sore. In fact the only things wrong with him seemed to be an intense thirst and an unusual sense of exhaustion.

The first he remedied by opening the tap to his sink and drinking three cups of water one right after another. There wasn't anything he could do about being tired, but he figured he could manage. Outside his door he could here other boys greet each other and head towards the common bath. Home room started at 7:30 and he'd agreed to meet Lucy as quarter past so they could walk to class together. He definitely didn't want to draw any more attention down on himself so he gathered his bath supplies and undressed. He would shower, use the facilities, and then change into his other uniform. If he had time he might grab something to eat in the cafeteria.

Then he would meet Lucy and hopefully have an uneventful first day of classes.

XXX

When he stumbled out of the dorm lobby Lucy was there waiting just as promised. Kouta noticed a tall lean boy with a top of messy dark brown hair trying to talk to her. She barely spared him a glance before hurrying over to Kouta.

"I told you to meet me at 7:15, it's 7:21 now, are you wanting to be late on your very first full day?" She did not sound happy.

"Sorry, I was just running a little late." He smothered a yawn.

"You have no excuse to be tired or late today, it's not like you had homework or anything."

"I'm sorry," he said again. He'd already decided not to tell her about Kahlua or what had happened last night. He trusted Lucy largely because he didn't have any choice but to, but he didn't know what she would say or do if he told her what had happened.

"Well never mind that we need to hurry if we're not going to be late! Now come on!"

He and Lucy hurried down the steps and out to the road that led from the dorms to the Academy proper. Neither of them took any notice of the boy with the messy hair and the unhappy look on his face as he watched them go.

XXX

Kouta dreaded seeing Kahlua when he entered homeroom and desperately wished that she would be absent. He didn't dare confront the girl about why she had attacked him, or report her to the school authorities. He didn't even feel safe confiding in Lucy about it. The only course of action he could come up with was to ignore the problem and hope it went away. If she left him alone he would leave her alone.

Rushing the whole way from the dorm to their homeroom they managed to get there at 7:29 and thus just avoid being late. Lucy was barely winded while Kouta was doubled over panting as soon as he staggered into the classroom.

"Kouta-kun!" A rapturous voice sang out. "Kouta-kun! Come sit with me Kouta-kun!" A girl in a pink satin dress with pink gloves was waving her arms about excitedly trying to get his attention. "I saved you a seat Kouta-kun!"

Everyone in class including the teacher was looking at him. Somehow without even looking up he could feel Lucy's eyes boring a hole into him. "Kouta," she began in a tone that should have given him frostbite. "Why is that girl calling for you as though you were her best friend?"

"Uhhhhhh…"

He was literally saved by the bell.

As it began ringing Nekonome spoke up. "Please take your seats."

"Kouuuuuuuta-kun!" Kahlua was waving both arms above her head as if afraid he could somehow have missed her shouting his name.

He turned towards Lucy and helplessly shrugged his shoulders. He honestly didn't want to sit next to her but also didn't want her making an even bigger scene if he didn't. "I think I should sit next to her."

"Fine," Lucy said chillingly and stomped over to the same seat she'd been in yesterday. Idiot! What the hell are you doing? Kouta-kun? Kouta-kun?! She barely knows you why is she calling you that?!

Walking down the row towards the empty seat in front of Kahlua he felt like a condemned prisoner approaching the gallows. He managed to give her a nod and a sickly smile as he sat down. As soon as he did she snaked forward and wrapped her gloved hands smoothly over his shoulders bringing her lips to his ear.

"Kouta-kun really is the yummiest!" She whispered to him and gave him a kiss on his cheek.

No one else could hear what she had said but the kiss was plain for everyone to see. The boys in class sent him dark and jealous looks. From her seat Lucy dug her nails into the top of her wooden desk. Don't you DARE kiss him you fucking whore! It took all the self control she could muster not to lash out at the vampire right there and then.

"Shuzen-chan," Nekonome chided her with a wag of her finger. "Public displays of affection are frowned upon."

"Sorry sensei," she sang out.

"Also why are you not in a school uniform again? Did you not get a replacement yesterday?"

"A gremlin stole it," she said sounding pure and virtuous and beyond reproach. "I will wear one tomorrow sensei, promise!"

Nekonome sighed and nodded. "Make sure you do Shuzen-chan. Now for the morning announcements…"

All through homeroom Kouta sat as stiff as a board in his seat while Kahlua played with his hair.

Also while Lucy watched and dug her nails deeper into her desk.

XXX

The instant the bell sounded announcing the end of homeroom Kouta leapt to his feet and headed for the door.

"Bye Kouta-kun!" A melodic voice called after him.

He lowered his shoulders and got out as fast as he could. He made it into the hall before he realized he didn't know where his first period class was. He was looking about trying to remember when someone grabbed him by the collar of his jacket.

"Come with me!" Lucy hissed and began to drag him along. Rather than take him to their class she instead led him to the academy cafeteria. Since the first lunch period was still hours away it was empty, allowing them privacy away from the busy halls.

"Why did you bring me here? We're going to be late for class."

"Fuck being late!" She yelled at him and stabbed a finger in his chest. "What the hell was all that about? You barely know that girl! Why the hell was she all over you like that? Explain!"

When Lucy had first used her powers on him he'd been scared so bad he'd fainted. He'd never seen her mad before though and that was much much scarier. He gulped and fought to control his breathing. "I… I don't really know."

Her red eyes narrowed to slits and she took a menacing step forward forcing his to back against a wall. "Don't lie to me Kouta," she said in a harsh unforgiving tone. "I hate liars."

At those words an old terror filled him. For just an instant he saw a young girl of 8 or 9 in a blue wool cap and white shirt standing in a subway car. He heard her voice clear as day.

'You're a liar.'

He didn't know who the girl was or what the image meant or why it had him shaking, he only knew it scared him. It also did one other thing, it convinced him to tell Lucy the truth, all of it.

As she listened to what had happened her anger with him slowly faded, to be replaced with annoyance for him and fury for Kahlua.

"So she brought you to her place and actually attacked you? Why didn't you tell me that from the start?"

"I didn't know how you would react," he answered timidly. "I was worried it might make things worse."

"Kouta I am going to tell you this once more and I really hope you listen this time. I am here to guide and protect you. Whatever problems you have you can come to me. I promise I'll never get mad at you for needing my help. All right, now that I know what's going on let's get to class. We've missed half of it so I'm sure we'll get yelled at."

"What about Kahlua?"

"Don't worry about her," Lucy told him. "I'll deal with her, later not now."

XXX

They were yelled at for being late but being freshmen on the first day they were not punished. They didn't have any morning classes with Kahlua so nothing else occurred until lunch time. Since the weather was warm he and Lucy decided to eat out side at one of the courtyard tables. They were enjoying a peaceful lunch and going over the remainder of the first day's schedule when a certain boy with messy black hair approached them.

"Hey you!" The boy called out pointing directly at Kouta. "I want to fight you! That girl you're sitting with deserves someone a whole lot better."

All around the courtyard the students turned to watch. No one bothered to try and call for a teacher. Kouta turned in his seat to look at Lucy.

She calmly took another bite of her food. "Don't hurt him too bad Kouta, just knock him out."

"What?"

"Violence is a lot more accepted in the monster realm than in the human world. If you don't fight or if you run now while everyone is watching you'll be a target for the whole time you're here. If you beat this guy up you'll be respected and left alone. Just beat him up."

"I thought you were supposed to protect me?"

"If they see me fight for you it'll be worse than if you were to run away. Just do your best and it will be fine I promise."

"Hey! Are you going to fight me or what?"

Kouta again looked at Lucy.

"Kick his ass Kouta."

Taking a deep breath he got up from his seat and took off his jacket. So much for Lucy protecting me.


	6. Reputation

Kouta had gotten into a few fights in school. He hadn't ever been a delinquent, but always moving from one set of relatives to another he'd forever been the new kid. Being quiet and withdrawn hadn't helped him with making friends either. He'd often been picked on and forced to fight. Despite his panic attacks he was not physically weak or sickly. He also was not a coward and was not afraid to fight. He couldn't help the bad dreams or the terrors that would come out of nowhere or the fainting spells. What people failed to realize was that when he wasn't being afflicted by those things he was a perfectly normal boy, if one who was very lonely and shy.

Were this the ordinary High School he'd expected it to be he would have accepted the challenge without a second thought. Having been lifted into the air by Lucy and actually attacked by Kahlua though he had developed a very healthy fear of all the other students. If two cute girls could over power him what would the boys be like? That was why he had turned to Lucy. He was just fine fighting an ordinary boy but didn't want to take on a monster. Since Lucy wouldn't help him he would have to do his best and hope he could survive.

He stood in front of the table where Lucy was seated, spread his feet, and got his fists up. The other students in the courtyard were looking on eagerly. "I don't suppose we could talk about this?"

"Talk is for weaklings!" The other boy said. A forked tongue slipped out of his mouth and twisted for a second tasting the air before disappearing back in his mouth. "Come on!" The boy charged him with hands stretched out. There was no technique or style, just a sudden rush and eagerness to get his hands on his rival.

The boy was wide open. Gritting his teeth Kouta stepped into his punch determined to at least hit this guy as hard as he could. He aimed his fist at the other boy's chin.

His punch never connected, his fist didn't hit anything but air. Yet there was a loud clear 'crack' and the other boy's jaw snapped back as though hitting a wall. The boy dropped at Kouta's feet with a pathetic yowl. He was on his hands and knees spitting out blood. Kouta was standing over him blinking, not understanding what had just happened. He hadn't touched him. An excited murmur ran though the courtyard, they were excited at the unexpected display of raw power. He'd broken the boy's jaw with a single punch!

As Kouta stood there unsure of what to say or do next he heard Lucy cough and looked back to her. Slowly and deliberately she mouthed the words, 'kick him.'

"But…" the fight was already over and the other boy was down. There was no need for anything more.

Lucy again mouthed the words, 'kick him' followed by, 'trust me.'

He didn't understand the point of it, but he gave her a slight nod. He stepped over to the other boy was still helplessly on the ground bleeding from his mouth. Not feeling very proud of himself, but relying on Lucy, he drew his foot back and aimed for the middle of the other boy's ribs. He wasn't going to kick him especially hard.

As with his punch his foot never touched anything but the air.

"Ahhhh!" The boy cried as there was another loud crack and he was sent flying into the air to crash into a wall.

"Kouta that's enough!" Lucy jumped to her feet. "You don't need to kill the poor boy!"

He turned back to her feeling betrayed. Kicking him had been her idea! "But I thought you…"

"I know he challenged you and was asking for it, but you're too strong! Show a little restraint! The next time you get in a fight you'll probably kill them by accident!"

He gawked at her, not believing her accusation or how loudly she was calling him out. Then he noted the way the other students were staring and talking to one another.

"I… I guess you're right, I'll be more careful next time."

Lucy nodded and sat down. He returned to his seat and looked over at her.

"Just now, that was you wasn't it?" He spoke in a low voice.

"Who else?" She replied with a grin.

"Thanks Lucy, you really saved me."

Her cheeks colored a bit. Hearing him say that to her made her very pleased. "You're very welcome Kouta. I'll always do anything to protect you."

"So what happens now? Am I going to get in trouble? I mean this happened right out in the open."

In reply she nodded in the direction of where the messy haired boy was slowly picking himself up off the ground. "You didn't kill him or hurt him too badly; the faculty probably won't even bother to mention anything to you."

"So the school really lets students beat each other up?" In every school he'd ever been in something like this would have resulted in a trip to the principal's office followed by detention or some other punishment. Teachers would never simply ignore a fight.

"The short answer to that is yes within certain limits," she said. "You have to remember, the students come from all sorts of races, all of them with their own unique cultures and traditions. It's not like going to a regular school kin Japan where everyone except for a few foreigners was brought up with the same belief system. With so many students with different outlooks being forced together there is bound to be a certain amount of friction. Also a lot of monsters are brought up with the notion that violence is an acceptable way to solve problems. Part of what this school is about is teaching them how to exist in a society based on law rather than brute force; a lot of them don't know how to do that. So a certain amount of fighting is tolerated but within limits, that way the students will begin to understand that even if they are stronger than others they still have to obey the law."

"So just what is out of bounds?"

"No attacking any member of the faculty, no deliberate destruction of school property, no fighting during class, no killing, no life threatening injuries, and no group attacks."

"And everything else is ok?" Kouta was finding it hard to believe you could even run a school where the students were allowed to attack each other in the halls.

"Pretty much," Lucy told him. "That's why I'm going to be at your side as much as possible. According to the Chairman there are always a lot of fights among the freshmen during the first semester. Once everyone figures out the pecking order though it settles down and most of the fights stop. The important thing for you Kouta is that now everyone will see you as a strong monster. Most of them should leave you in peace now."

"Most?" He asked with a worried frown.

"There are always some who want to fight the strong ones to build up their reputation."

"Great."

"Hurry up and finish your lunch it's almost time to go."

XXX

Over at a table on the other side of the courtyard two students with silver eyes were commenting on what they had seen.

"So what do you think Akio?"

The other boy sipped at his drink for a moment and considered. "He might do Akira."

"Want to recruit him then?"

"Sure, why not?"

XXX

The rest of the school day passed without incident. Just as Lucy had predicted there was no fall out for having had that fight. Word of it had passed quickly and most of the students would now treat Kouta as someone not to be trifled with. As Kouta and Lucy were walking back to the dorms together trouble again reared its pretty blonde head.

"Kouta-kun!"

Kouta froze at that sweet siren sound. Before he could react she was on him. She had wrapped both her arms around one of his and was playfully rubbing her cheek against his.

"I've missed you Kouta-kun! Let's go to my house and have a bite!"

"I'd rather not," he said and tried to free himself. Her arms held him with vice like strength.

"Awwwwwww, don't be that way." She said through big innocent eyes. "You're not mad that I got just a teensy tiny bit carried away are you Kouta-kun? It's your fault you know."

"How was what happened my fault?!"

"You were so yummy I couldn't help myself! Your blood is the sweetest most delicious most satisfying I've ever had. How was I supposed to control myself when you were being so yummy?"

"That didn't give you the right to attack me!"

She pouted at him. "What do you mean Kouta-kun? I would never attack you. I asked you if we could have a bite and you said yes! I was even nice enough to feed you first and then I brought you back to your room and even tucked you in."

"When you said you wanted to have a bite I didn't think you meant it literally." He tried pulling free again to no avail.

"Silly Kouta-kun! Anyway I promise to be more gentle from now on and to not drink so deeply! So come on let's go!" She began pulling him along with her.

This entire time Lucy had been standing there grinding her teeth as her anger began to mount. As Kahlua began dragging Kouta with her she stepped in front of the blonde vampire. "All right that's enough! Kouta's not going anywhere with you!"

Kahlua stopped short and blinked into Lucy's angry face. "Who are you?"

Lucy began to make a sound like a kettle that was about to explode.

Kouta gulped and wondered if he was going to survive what was about to happen.


	7. Lucy versus Kahlua

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Special thanks to 'Mistress Winowyl' for helping me with the fight scene and making it much much better than I could have on my own.

"What do you mean who am I?" Lucy growled. "My name is Lucy and I've been by Kouta's side the entire time he's been here!"

"You have?" Kahlua sounded dumbstruck. "Then why haven't I seen you before?"

Kouta could see Lucy's fists clench and her whole body beginning to shake.

"Listen you dumb blonde the only reason I don't tear you apart here and now is because it might cause trouble for Kouta. Now let go of him and don't ever talk to him again." Lucy was straining just to keep from attacking her.

Kahlua turned to Kouta. "Kouta-kun do you know this girl? She kind of sounds like a stalker to me." Not giving him a chance to answer she turned back to Lucy. "Please don't bother us Stalker Lady. Kouta-kun is coming to my house for a bite."

"THAT'S IT!!"

There was a barely audible whistle as all four of her vectors cut through the air to assault the blonde vampire.

"Oooomph!" Kahlua gave a startled cry as she felt four rock hard fists slam knot her face and body. The impact hit her like a truck, knocking her off the road and tumbling down the side of a hill.

While still holding onto Kouta's arm.

"Ow! Ouch! Augh! Ow!" Kouta called out as he went sliding and bouncing down the hill.

"Kouta!" Stupid! Stupid! Why didn't I make her let go of him first? "Hold on Kouta!"

She leapt off the road herself and ran down the hillside.

XXX

When Kouta finally came to a stop at the bottom of the hill, his uniform was torn and completely ruined. Along with assorted bruises and scrapes he was sure a cracked rib had to be added to his growing list of injuries. Lying in a heap, he counted himself lucky to still be in one piece. It could have been worse.

"Kouta-kun!"

"Oh no," he wept. It was worse.

He couldn't even sit up or move so he could only lay there as Kahlua ran over to kneel at his side, careful to ensure what was left of her dress was held in one hand to allow easier mobility.

His eyes widened when he saw her.

The pink gown she'd been wearing had shredded during her fall. The bottom half had been ripped clean off revealing a lacey pink thong and gorgeous tanned legs. Part of the top half had also torn to reveal part a matching pink bra.

Kahlua didn't notice or didn't care that most of her clothes were gone. "Kouta-kun! Are you hurt?" She places a hand on his forehead as it to check his temperature.

"I'm fine," he told her with a croak that had nothing to do with pain, but a mix of astonishment and disbelief.

Looking worried, she wracked her brain for what to do. "I know! I saw this in a movie! I'll give Kouta-kun mouth to mouth!"

"Huh?" He blinked.

She put her mouth over his and began forcing air into him as he flailed his arms about trying to make her stop.

When Lucy arrived just a moment later, what could only be described as a half naked Kahlua was molesting her Kouta-kun.

"GET AWAY FROM HIM!!"

Lucy's vectors grabbed hold of Kahlua, flinging her away from Kouta without warning. Kahlua found herself airborne with a comical look of surprise just before she slammed into the ground twenty feet away from him. Keeping up with her prey, Lucy used her vectors to launch herself into the air and land at her side. The Diclonius's teeth were bared in a bloody sneer; she no longer wanted to talk. This slut had been kissing him!! She'd torn her clothes off to try and force herself on Kouta!

"I'll kill you!"

She grabbed Kahlua by the neck with two vectors, lifting her into the air as she slowly throttled her. Her invisible arms shook her back and forth as they squeezed the life from her. Every time she swung her one way or another, Kahlua would gasp or cry in astonishment, more out of some kind of confusion then actual fear. Her hands reached for whatever had a hold of her but were not strong enough to do more than grab. Lucy could have snapped her neck or torn her head off, but she didn't want to make things that that quick and clean. She wanted this girl to suffer for doing those things with Kouta.

Finally, Lucy slammed the vampiress down into the ground with enough force to raise a cloud of dust and cave out a least five foot deep crater. The Diclonius repeated this again and again, lifting her prey into the air again and jack hammering with maniacal glee. Her onslaught appeared more like what an angry child might do to some delinquent doll. The helpless vampire was thrashed around and around above Lucy's head, and then smashed face first into a tree.

"Aaaaah!" Kahlua's cry of pain, the sight of her blood pleased Lucy, but not near enough.

Releasing her vectors, she began walking calmly towards the beaten and broken vampire, eager to do even more.

Kouta managed to get to his feet with some effort and the assistance of a tree stump. He watched in fixed horror as Lucy viciously beat Kahlua. It was like watching a bull dog tearing apart a cat.

Though Kahlua had attacked him, he didn't think anyone deserved what was being done to her now.

"Lucy! Please stop it!"

His plea either was not loud enough or fell on purposely deaf ears. Despite the soreness and painfully uncooperative limbs, he shambled over towards them as fast as he could.

XXX

As Lucy slowly approached Kahlua with a murderous grin, she saw the vampiress open up her honey colored eyes and look up at her. Her nose was broken, swelling an ugly purple in the middle of her once beautiful face. There was dark blood smeared from cheek to chin, ears to neck. Her body lay oddly cocked in the dirt, marking the tree she had hit.

"Not so tough now, are you?" Lucy mocked. "Everyone says that vampires are dangerous, but you don't seem like much to me."

Kahlua smiled through bloody teeth. "You're not very nice, and I don't think I like you."

Reaching up to her ear she pulled off her rosario with a chime-like 'plink'.

Lucy watched as the girl was suddenly surrounded by demonic youka so powerful it became a visible maelstrom. The girl's hair melted into silver and her eyes turned to crimson with reptile slits. She rose smoothly to her feet, her cuts and other wounds still present but not hampering her. "They say vampires are dangerous because we are." Kahlua was still smiling.

That playful smile infuriated Lucy, demeaning the efforts she had, up to this point, enjoyed. "I'll wipe that smile off your face!" She sent her vectors to grab hold of her again.

One second Kahlua was standing there and the next she was gone from Lucy's sight. Before she could even think to look for her, a fist slammed into her stomach, expelling the air from her, and sending her flying.

She crashed into a tree with a yelp, coughing out her first taste of blood. Kahlua was standing in the spot she had been, in once more smiling at her.

How?! How did she do that? Lucy got to her feet using the tree as a brace; she wiped the blood from her lips. Undeterred she snarled with renewed vigor. It would take a lot more than that to stop her. Her vectors catapulted themselves with speed and power once more to attack.

Kahlua closed her eyes.

As the vectors reached for her she leapt back, ducked and dived to the right, avoiding all four of them and then getting past their range.

"How did you do that?" Lucy asked her. "Were you able to see my vectors?"

"No silly, I could hear them moving through the air. A vampire has all her senses enhanced."

Kahlua's grin faltered as her eyes began to water. "I'm very sorry but I'm going to have to kill you now. Daddy always says people have to know their proper place or they cause nothing but trouble. I'm not going to let you cause any more trouble."

Kahlua shut her eyes again as the tears continued to flow. With a shrill, painful cry, Kahlua ran at Lucy.

With her back to the tree Lucy sent all four vectors out to catch the girl and rip her head from her shoulders. Try as she might though she couldn't touch her. Each time a vector neared her she would leap over it, duck below it or dodge past it. She was able to cover the ground between them in seconds.

This is impossible! How can she dodge someone who can catch bullets? Using her vectors to pull herself up onto the tree's limbs, she narrowly avoided being skewered by Kahlua's clawed fingers tips. They had been aimed at her chest; instead they were now impaled up to the elbow into the tree's trunk.

With her eyes still closed, Kahlua called out in a childish sing song voice, "Marco…"

Lucy's vectors shot out fast enough to sound like whip snapping, breaking the sound barrier to try and entangle or stab through Kahlua while she was a helpless target with her arm lodged in the tree. In an instant the flesh of her trapped arm transformed into three scythe like bat wings and cut up and out of the thick trunk, freeing her and receiving the punishing attack of all four vectors as she arched them and spread them out like a shield. The concussion of the contact was enormous, but it was enough to deflect the straight shot and allow Kahlua to rebound away and give them both a moment to regroup.

Kahlua opened her eyes and pouted, allowing her arm to revert back to its normal shape. The blonde vampiress glanced around their unintentional battle ground, taking in her environment. Tapping her finger to the side of her head, obviously in a physical attempt to help her think, she had a huge grin crease her lips and said, "We're going to play a game! Tag! I'm it!"

Lucy had to admit she held a new respect for the debutant vampires, but it was not going to prevent her from tearing several holes in the girl who thought to be so familiar with her Kouta.

Kahlua disappeared again, but this time Lucy was ready. She had two of her vectors circled around her, swirling like some kind of pinwheel. With the other two she leapt free of the tree and began to move about. The effect was to make her a moving and well protected target as she tried to find where Kahlua had vanished to. Even if the girl was stronger than she'd expected Lucy had no doubts that if she could just get a hold of her once more she would kill her. All the vampire's tricks couldn't keep her vectors from ripping her to shreds, but she had to find her first.

Since she couldn't see Kahlua, she decided to take her chances in another way. Two vectors launched Lucy in the air, but the other two snapped back to where she was, anticipating her opponent would possibly be where she had just been.

The trick worked.

"Waah!" Kahlua cried like a child being stung by a bee.

One of the invisible arms had pierced through Kahlua's trim middle, coating itself in the young blonde's blood.

The second daughter to the Elder Vampire Lord Akashiya gripped the assaulting appendage with both hands and grinned, "You're it!"

Lucy was astonished beyond reason. Most people, and monsters too she was sure, would have been crippled by such a wound! Kahlua simply danced backwards with the vector still in her grip, not even wincing as she tugged and whipped Lucy against one obstacle after the next, earning one satisfying sound of flesh hitting earth or wood after another, it was what the mean girl had done to her, but this way was more fun!

Lucy did not have the Vampiress's tough body or endurance. Save for her horns and the ability of her vectors she was a human girl in every way.

With a gleeful twist, Kahlua released the vector, the thing slid out of her hand and she could hear it being reeled back into the mean girl's body. She was lying in a bloody and twisted heap on the ground.

Glancing down at herself Kahlua cried out in horror, not at the baseball sized hole that had been gouged into her side, but at the state of her clothes. Kahlua whined and stomped her foot. "This dress was a Versace original!"

Huffing, she saw Kouta witness the whole thing just a handful of yards away. He was pale and his mouth was hanging open. "Kouta-kun! You're alright! Yay! Kahlua is so happy now!"

She skipped over to Kouta, mindless of what she had just participated in and gave him a quick hug and kiss on the cheek. "Just wait one more minute Kouta-kun. Let me kill this mean girl and then we can go to my house, okay?"

Lucy defiantly lifted up her head to glare hatefully at Kahlua but she knew that was about all she could do now. She'd been beaten so badly she could not even stand now, never mind use her vectors. Kouta I'm so sorry, forgive me.

Kahlua was starting to walk over to Lucy to deliver the coup de grace when she felt Kouta grab her arm. "Kahlua stop! Don't kill her! I'm begging you."

Kahlua turned back to him in honest surprise. "How come?"

He could feel her monstrous aura and looking into those inhuman eyes made him want to faint, but he had to hold himself together. He as the only chance Lucy had.

"She's my friend," he told Kahlua. "I know she shouldn't have attacked you but she only did it because she was trying to protect me."

Bloodied and beaten as she was it still made Lucy smile hearing Kouta say they were friends. It filled her with happiness to see him trying to save her.

"Protect you from what Kouta-kun? Kahlua asked puzzled.

He swallowed. "You."

Kahlua gaped at him. "Now that's just silly! I would never ever hurt you Kouta-kun."

"It was all a big misunderstanding," he said as he carefully let go of her. "Please let me take her to the nearest hospital. There's no need for any more of this. I am sure we can all get along."

"If she's your friend Kouta-kun I can let her live," smiling brightly she wiped her tears away. "But she better not ever be mean to me or you Kouta-kun."

"I'm sure that won't be a problem." Knowing Kahlua would not do her any more harm he shuffled over to her and carefully knelt down at her side. Since the moment she'd used her powers on him he'd been scared of her and seen her as something that was not human. Right now all he saw was a girl that was badly hurt. "Don't try to get up," he gently put his arms around her. "Is there a hospital near here?"

Seeing the worry on his face and hearing it in his voice and feeling it in his touch made all the pain fade away to nothing. "I'll be okay Kouta, there's a hospital about a half mile from the academy with a full medical staff and modern facilities."

"Okay I'll get you there," he gave her a half reassuring half worried smile. "It may take a little while though." I wonder if I can even get her back up to the road?

"Don't worry Kouta-kun!" Kahlua had retrieved her rosario and slipped it into her bra for the moment so that she could remain in her true form. "I can fix her back at my house, come on piggy back!"

"I'm not sure that… hey!" Kouta was cut off as Kahlua casually tossed him over one shoulder.

"Ow!" Lucy was roughly tossed over the other.

Not giving either of them a vote she swiftly bounded through t he woods back towards her home.


	8. An understanding

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I was planning to leave it as unsaid for the readers to figure out, but I've gotten so many people asking I've decided to just state it. This story takes place three years prior to the start of the RV story line. That means Kouta / Lucy / Kahlua would graduate the year before Tsukne, Moka, and the others appear. So don't expect to see them, except in cameo. Other characters such as Gin, Kuyou, and Hokuto will definitely play a part later though.

In her true form Kahlua was able to reach her home in just a couple of minutes and was even able to leap over rooftops and arrive unseen by anyone else.

"Gorak! Antoinette! I'm home and I have guests!" She sang out as soon as she had the front door shut. She then carefully lowered Kouta and put him on his feet.

Lucy she dropped like a sack of potatoes so that she landed right on her ass directly in front of Kouta.

"Ow!" Lucy glared up at Kahlua as much out of frustration as injury. She was badly hurt, but wasn't going to die from her injuries. It was about as bad as a typical 'research session' back at the facility would have been.

Almost as soon as she had called her two servants appeared. If they were shocked to see their mistress standing there in tatters and caked in blood and dirt they hid it well. What they might have thought of the red haired girl lying on the floor growling at the master was also hidden behind their submissive faces.

"Antoinette run me a bath and help me pick out something to wear. Gorak set an extra place for dinner. Be sure to look after Kouta-kun and give him anything he asks for. Oh, and don't let the girl bleed on any of the good furniture."

"I have a name you know! My name is Lucy!"

Kahlua ignored her and went up the stairs with her maid.

Looking at Lucy right then Kouta was reminded of a comic strip entitled, 'The World's Angriest Dog.' It had consisted of four identical frames showing a growling dog straining at the end of a leash.

"Is there anything I can get for you sir?" Gorak asked in a gravelly voice.

Kouta shook his head.

"Anything for you madam?" Despite his appearance Gorak certainly acted and sounded like a proper butler.

"How about a wooden stake?" Lucy said under her breath.

"Lucy," Kouta said cautiously. "Please, I'm begging you, don't make things worse. I don't want you to die because you said the wrong thing." He saw her cheeks blush and she cast her eyes away from him.

"Okay," she said. "I'll behave." Even though I still can't stand her.

XXX

Kahlua returned before too long wearing a butter yellow dress and heels. She was once more a blonde with human eyes. Kouta also noticed that her nose was no longer broken and that the bruises on her face and arms were either gone or faded to almost nothing. She was carrying a glass of orange juice as she strolled in.

"Drink this you nasty, nasty girl and it'll fix you right up." Kahlua held the orange juice out to Lucy.

"I'm not thirsty," Lucy replied. "And I have a name! My name is Lucy."

Kahlua continued to hold out the drink to her. "It has a super duper special medicine in it. Go drink it mean girl and the owies will be all gone."

Lucy looked at the drink suspiciously and made no move to accept it.

"Lucy…" Kouta spoke with concern ringing his voice.

"Fine," she muttered. She took the glass and downed all the juice before handing the empty glass back to the vampire.

"You're welcome," Kahlua said in a sing song voice.

Lucy glared but held her tongue.

In just minutes she felt completely better. She was able to stand and walk about without any twinge of ache. The cuts and wounds on her began to heal and vanish from sight. Kouta was every bit as amazed at her near instant recovery.

"What sort of medicine is that? I've never seen anything that worked like that. If you could sell it you'd make a fortune!"

Kahlua giggled under his praise and twirled about. "It's a very special medicine." She put a finger to her lips. "It's secret."

"You put some of your blood in the juice didn't you?" Lucy said.

Kouta looked disgusted. "You put blood in it?"

"Vampire blood has amazing healing and recuperative effects," Lucy told him. "It's said it can heal or cure almost anything short of a terminal wound or illness."

"Awwwww, no fair! The mean girl told! It was supposed to be secret! You know like Kouta-kun being human is!"

"You know I'm human." It wasn't really a surprise to him. He'd suspected that was what she'd meant the first time she'd talked to him about secrets.

Kahlua nodded her head vigorously. "I thought it the first time I smelled how yummy you were. Then I tasted and I knew for sure."

"Kahlua you understand that if anyone finds out about me I'll be burned alive?" He glanced at Gorak and Antoinette who were both in the room silently standing against the wall.

"Oh you don't need to worry about them," Kahlua assured him. "They know that if they say anything I'll kill them. And you already know I'll never ever, ever, ever, eeeeeeever tell anyone since Kouta-kun is nice enough to let me eat his yummy blood whenever I want. I'll make sure no one ever hurts my nice Kouta-kun!"

"So you'll protect Kouta too?" Lucy asked, not really sounding happy about it.

"Sure! How else am I going to get to do this?"

Without warning she bounded over to him, put her hands on his shoulders and eagerly sank her teeth into his neck. Chomp.

"Ow! Ow! Ow! That still hurts!" So much for her promise to be gentle. She did stop though before he passed out this time.

When she let go of him she sighed contently and flicked her lips around her mouth to get every last particle of his delicious blood. "That is soooooo yummy! There's no way I'd ever let anyone take your blood away from me!"

He rubbed his neck and was relieved to find there was no wound there. There was only a mark similar to a hickey which was already beginning to fade. Rubbing it there was no soreness or ache to it either.

"So the only reason you'll help me is because of my blood?"

"Don't be silly Kouta-kun!" She said with a bright smile. "You're also friendly and cute like a doggie!" She reached out and vigorously patted his head. "Daddy never let me keep a pet."

"So I'm just food and some kind of pet to you?!"

Kahlua nodded. "That's righty! Aren't you glad Kouta-kun?"

"Couldn't we be friends instead?"

She laughed and patted his head again. "Now that's just silly Kouta-kun! A vampire could never be friends with a human. You're too far beneath me."

Kouta gawked at her while Lucy silently ground her teeth.

"Now let's have dinner Kouta-kun!" She grabbed hold of his arm and began dragging towards the kitchen. She glanced back at Lucy. "You can eat too mean girl."

"My name is Lucy!" She snapped.

Kahlua's attention was already back on Kouta.

XXX

During dinner Kahlua sat next to Kouta while Lucy was exiled to the opposite end of the table. The food was quite good and after their ordeals both Kouta and Lucy had healthy appetites. Kahlua no more than picked at hers, she'd already eaten. Instead she talked, happy to tell Kouta-kun all about herself.

She explained to him that the rosario she wore sealed most of her powers because otherwise the lesser monsters would be too afraid to approach her. She told him about her ability to shape shift and ignore pain that others would fine crippling. She told him about her weaknesses, especially her dread of water and its ability to drain away her strength.

From her seat Lucy listened to every word and filed it all away. If the girl was stupid enough to reveal things that was fine.

Kahlua also told Kouta-kun about her upbringing in Castle Askashiya. About her daddy, the Elder Vampire Lord Akashiya. She painted the picture of a loving but strict father and of a household where his word was unquestioned law.

She talked about her sisters. She was second oldest with an older half sister, younger half sister, and younger sister. She loved her sisters but was worried about the younger half sister. Apparently she'd left home to go search for her missing mother and was currently living somewhere in the human world. Kahlua hoped to see her again someday soon.

She also talked about her own plans for the future.

"I'm going to be an assassin!" She said proudly.

"An assassin?" Kouta replied weakly. This was far and away the strangest dinner conversation he'd ever had.

"Uh huh," she nodded her head up and down. "Daddy says I'm the most talented killer in the family so what else could I be? Though I hate taking lives, it always makes me cry. It's just soooooo sad to kill someone, I hate it." She glanced down the table at Lucy. "Usually."

The fork in Lucy's hand bent without her realizing it.

XXX

When the meal was over Kouta and Lucy were ready to go.

"You sure you don't need me to walk you home Kouta-kun?" Kahlua asked as she hugged him goodbye.

"I'm sure," he answered. "Lucy will keep me safe."

"If you say so."

"Kouta," Lucy said. "Could you wait for me outside for a moment? I'd like to have a word alone with Kahlua."

He looked at her nervously. Lucy had been silent for most of the evening. She didn't look angry but he was still worried. "You're not going to do anything are you?"

"I just want to talk about something," she reassured.

"That's okay Kouta-kun," Kahlua said. "I'll talk to the nasty girl."

Kouta looked between the two of them. Finally nodding he said good night to Kahlua and went outside.

As soon as he left Lucy began. "I don't like you," she said bluntly. "I wish you had never met Kouta and I wish you would leave him alone. Since I don't suppose that will happen, and since this place is dangerous for him I'll put up with you and your drinking his blood so long as you keep him safe for the next three years."

"That's nice mean girl," Kahlua said brightly in her sing song voice. "I don't like you either, your mean and nasty and don't play nice, but if I killed you Kouta-kun would be sad. He needs someone to play with when I'm not there."

"So glad we understand each other," Lucy replied. "There's just one more thing."

She gave the girl a predatory grin. Without warning Kahlua heard a whistling in the air. Something grabbed both her wrists and forced her arms out to the side.

"Hey! No fair! Let go!" She struggled with all her might but could not yank her arms free. While wearing her rosario she was also unable to transform herself.

Seeing the vampire struggling helplessly in her grip Lucy nodded satisfied. "When you're sealed you're not strong enough to overpower my vectors or fast enough to avoid them. Like this you're no match for me."

Kahlua stuck her tongue out. "Nyyah! You can't beat me except by cheating!"

"That's true. I'll admit that I'm no match for you in a fair fight." Lucy's wicked smile sharpened when she saw Kahlua's eyes bulge at the feel of a third vector choking off her air.

"Just so you know, I don't fight fair. If I ever decide you're a threat to Kouta I won't give you the chance to take off that rosario. I'll rip your head off before you even know I'm coming."

Kahlua felt the invisible hands release her and she took an uneasy step back.

"Keep that in mind." She turned to leave.

"Lucy!"

She stopped and looked back to see Kahlua smiling childishly at her.

"I won't fight fair either."

Laughing softly Lucy went outside to join Kouta.


	9. Club activities

Walking back it was getting late and the sun was setting. Lucy was at his side and they were walking in silence. Kouta would glance at her and then quickly look away.

"What are you thinking?" She asked finally.

"Well," he began cautiously. "I was just wondering why it was you fought today. I mean why did you attack her like that and why did you go after her the way you did?"

"I attacked her because she was threatening to take you home and drink your blood again. I went after her the way I did because that's the only way I know how to fight, all out."

"That's not exactly what I meant," he said. He was looking at her with his doubt written all over his face. "I want to know why you fought for me. Kahlua says she'll protect me, but only because of my blood and because she sees me as some kind of pet."

"Are you actually worried that I see you that way?"

He stopped. "How do you see me then?"

Lucy stopped as well. She turned to face him feeling butterflies I her stomach. "I see you as a friend Kouta. As matter of fact I see you as my only friend. I have someone I answer to and work for and a few associates, but you're the only person I consider a friend."

"Even though I'm human?" He asked quietly.

"Yes!" Her answer was instant. "Do you think I can't be your friend because of that?"

"Kahlua seems to. To listen to her humans are on the same level as poodles."

"Kahlua's an idiot! I don't care that we're different races. I want to be your friend Kouta." She lowered her eyes a bit. "What about you? Does the thought of being friends with a monster turn your stomach?"

"Since you hate liars will you get mad at me if I tell you the truth?"

She shook her head. "Whatever you tell me I promise not to get angry Kouta. The truth is always better than a lie." Hypocrite! She thought.

"The truth is that from the first time you used your powers I have thought of you that way. When I looked at you I saw someone who wasn't human. But when you were lying there beaten all I could see was a girl who was hurt. Lucy, I don't have any real friends either, and I don't mean just here. I've never had anyone I was really close to or trusted. I want us to be good friends."

"I want that too Kouta." Her eyes looked at his and she gave him an honest smile.

Wow she's beautiful. "I just hope I don't become too much of a burden for you. You keep having to save me."

"That's all right. Friends are supposed to help each other right? Besides, you saved my life today."

"Uh, I didn't really do anything heroic. All I did was ask Kahlua to stop. It wasn't very manly or anything."

"What are you talking about Kouta? You faced a vampire and put yourself in harm's way for my sake. If you hadn't done that she would have killed me." She shyly reached over and put a hand on his arm. "That makes you my hero."

He blushed at her words and at the gentle way she was touching him. It was hard for him to believe that this was the same girl who could be so scary when she got mad. "It was nothing," he mumbled. "Anyway you saved me at lunch and with Kahlua."

"Then let's be friends and keep watching out for each other. Okay?"

"Yeah," he said.

XXX

After walking Kouta to his dorm Lucy received a summons to the Chairman's mansion. Unexpected calls from him were never a good thing and he timing of this one worried her.

When she was arrived she was allowed into his presence without any delay. He wore his usual slightly smug grin upon meeting her. "I take it you've had an interesting night."

As he did so often he puzzled her as to how much he knew and how. "You might say it was interesting," she answered warily.

"I know you wish to protect Kouta, but attacking a vampire is not the best way to go about it. Especially not that vampire."

"She was asking for it!" Lucy dropped all pretense since it was clear he already knew. "She just grabbed him and was going to haul him away to drink his blood again. What should I have done?"

"Nothing."

"Nothing?" She spat back.

"That's right. You will discover there are many situations where that is the proper course of action. There are many instances where doing something only worsens he situation. Tonight was a case in point. Violence should be a last resort, not a first one."

"I'm here to protect Kouta."

"I think you will find that protecting someone does not always mean fighting for them. The less fighting you do the safer he is likely to be. Think about it."

Surprisingly that was all he had to say to her.

XXX

The next couple of weeks fell into a regular pattern.

XXX

"Kouta-kun! Kouta-kun! Kouta-kun!" Kahlua waved both arms above her head.

Kouta hurried over to the empty seat in front of her as Lucy suppressed a growl and went to her own seat.

"Kahlua you don't have to keep shouting at me every time I come to class."

As soon as he was in his seat she grabbed him about the shoulders and gave him an affectionate smooch on the cheek followed by a vigorous rubbing of the top of his head.

"You don't have to do that either."

"I don't mind because Kouta-kun is the yummiest!"

The one good thing about the situation as far as Kouta was concerned was that his classmates soon became used to this scene and just accepted it.

A girl named Sun would occasionally show him her sketchbook displaying a figure of Kahlua hugging him as he tried to get away. Above Kahlua's figure was a balloon with the word 'Yummy!' in it.

"Shuzen-chan," a weary Nekonome sensei would say. "You know public displays of affection are frowned on."

"Sorry, sensei."

"As for your uniform…"

"Tomorrow! Definitely, tomorrow! Promise!"

Nekonome's 'ears' would flop and she would move on to the morning announcements.

XXX

"Do you like the bento Kouta-kun? I had Antoinette make it just for you."

Kahlua had simply begun joining them at lunch uninvited. She'd also begun bringing him a boxed lunch every day. She had one too as she insisted the regular cafeteria food was yucky.

Lucy was the only one at the table who ate it.

"It's very delicious," Kouta admitted.

"Thank you Kouta-kun," Kahlua preened happily.

"You're not the one who cooked it," Lucy pointed out. "Don't take thanks for what someone else does."

"Nyah!" Kahlua stuck her tongue out.

XXX

After class they would go to Kahlua's house for dinner and…

Chomp!

"Ow! Ow! Ow!"

"Kouta is the yummiest!"

XXX

Then after two weeks of class Nekonome-sensei had a special announcement.

"Starting today you're all going to take up club activities!"

A buzz ran through the class at that.

"We'll get a deeper understanding of humans by experiencing the same sort of activities they do! It will give us a clearer insight into humanity and human society. As such all of you will participate in at least one club, got it? So after class today please visit lots of different groups and decide which one best suits you. Oh, and be sure to visit the newspaper club, I happen to be their faculty advisor."

Club activities, Kouta thought. That might be fun.

XXX

There were various stands and stalls packed into the academy hallways with colorful banners proclaiming activities ranging from ping pong to cooking to astronomy.

"What do you think Kouta?" Lucy asked him. "What sort of club do you want to join?"

"I don't know, I don't have any really strong interests. What about you?"

"I'll just join whatever you do." She told him.

"You sure?"

"I'm sure that as long as you're there I'll enjoy myself."

"Well in that case let's just take a look at everything and see what catches our attention."

The club members were loud and enthusiastic about their various activities.

Often much too enthusiastic.

"Anatomy club! Learn to dissect the human body!" A student in a bloody lab coat held out a scalpel to Kouta. "Would you like to see what a human liver looks like?"

"Urk!" Kouta turned pale and felt his lunch coming up.

"We'll pass," Lucy got him moving before he could pass out or throw up.

"Chemistry club! Learn how to make love potions and change people into newts!"

"Mummy club! Learn how to embalm and intern for all eternity!"

Kouta kept moving. "Aren't there any normal clubs?!"

"How about Swim club?" A woman's voice purred.

Kouta came to a halt before a stand with half a dozen pretty girls all in swimsuits. The girl who'd spoke was a blonde with a large chest stuffed into a tiny lime green two piece. "Hello, my name is Amaya. Come on in, the water's fine." She deliberately bent forward to give him a better view of her cleavage. "Interested?"

Lucy saw where his eyes were going. "Don't even think about it!" Grabbing his collar she got him moving again.

Most of the other clubs weren't quite so extreme, but nothing caught Kouta's eye. Then they came to a table with, 'Newspaper club' written on a large sign. A short intense looking boy with thick glasses was sitting behind the table. Standing in front of him was a short cute girl with a sketchbook in hand. She was Otonashi Sun, a girl from their homeroom.

Kouta and Lucy both like the girl well enough as she was very sweet and kind despite her odd habit of never speaking and only communicating through her sketchbook. When Sun noticed them she waved them over and wrote, 'Hi Kouta. Hi Lucy.'

"Hey Sun," Kouta said.

"Hello," Lucy said.

"Are you joining the newspaper club?" Kouta asked.

Smiling she nodded and quickly sketched a figure of her holding a camera.

"My name is Fukuen Daisuke," the boy with thick glasses spoke. "I'm the president and only member of the club. Would you like to join?"

"What do you think Kouta?" Lucy asked.

"Well it seems pretty normal at least."

Sun drew a picture of the four of them with fists pumped in the air beneath the word, 'Fight!'

Well it might be fun. "Okay," he said making his decision without any great concern. "I guess we'll join."

XXX

"Yay! Kahlua is apart of the Fashion club! Kouta-kun will be so happy when I make him join! We'll get to play dress up!"


	10. Truth

They were in room 202 the next day following the end of class.

"This is where we'll meet every day after school and on the weekends if we get behind." Daisuke removed his coke bottle thick glasses and began cleaning them. He was small and thin, coming up only to Kouta's shoulder and being shorter than even Sun. His manner was polite and quiet but not shy. His eyes held intelligence and a drive that belonged in a far bigger body. "We are a weekly paper and we publish each Monday. We have to have everything written, edited, and ready by eight p.m. on Sunday. We will meet our deadlines no matter what. As club members you're expected to find the time to research, write up, and hand in at least 3,000 words each week. In addition Sun has volunteered to also take pictures as well."

Sun nodded happily and held up a camera with along lens attached to it.

Daisuke put his glasses back on and looked at the three other members of his club. "I'll act as editor while also writing articles for the paper. You're pretty much free to write about anything you want. The only rules are that whatever you write has to be factual. The Newspaper club is committed to the truth above everything else. I want all of you to keep that in mind, we're here to serve the truth above all else." Sun and Kouta both nodded their agreement.

"The truth isn't always a good thing," Lucy said quietly.

"What do you mean?" Daisuke asked with a frown. "The truth is the only worthwhile thing, the only thing worth fighting for."

"Oh really?" Lucy asked with a smirk. "Then why are all of us in human form? Isn't this whole school based on perpetuating deception?"

"I agree with you," Daisuke answered sounding serious. "Coexistence, implies give and take and a willingness to share. Submission, seems a more accurate description of things. After all we monsters are being forced to give up our identities just for the sake of survival."

Sun wrote on her sketch book. 'Do you not like humans?'

"Well I certainly don't like the fact they dominate the earth and won't even acknowledge that other races exist." He said. "Still, when I graduate I intend to go to college in the human world and become a writer. I don't hate them or love them, I just wish they would be more open the possibility that others exist. Until that happens real coexistence isn't possible."

"Believe me you don't want humans learning you exist," Lucy said darkly.

"Why not?" Daisuke asked. "If they would admit to the truth we could begin to accept and understand each other."

"That's a nice dream," Lucy told him. "But if you really believe that it only proves you don't know anything about humanity. Whatever they can't control they destroy."

Kouta sent her an unhappy glance. "Do you really believe that Lucy?"

She appeared unhappy as she answered. "I'm not saying there aren't exceptions among them. A few who are decent and willing to accept people who are different. Most of them though just automatically hate anyone who they see as different." She was thinking not only of the research facility where she had been imprisoned but of the orphanage where she had been treated as a freak by the other children. She'd seen too much human prejudice and hate to have any delusions.

"Well I'm not saying it would be easy," Daisuke said. "However I firmly believe that in the end truth always wins out. Sooner or later lies are always exposed."

Lucy looked uncomfortable. "Not always," she muttered quietly.

XXX

"Is something wrong Lucy?" Kouta asked as they were heading back following their club meeting.

"Daisuke was wrong you know," she told him. "The truth does not always have to come out. Some truths are better off forgotten."

"You mean like about what I really am?"

She nodded. "Yes, exactly, what good would the truth do anyone in that case? All that would come of it would be harm."

Kouta pictured himself tied to a stake surrounded by a wood pile and nodded enthusiastically.

She looked over at him. "So you'd agree with me that there are certain things that are just better left alone? I mean you wouldn't want to learn something that would only cause you pain right? If something can do no good at all then isn't believing a lie better?"

"I suppose," Kouta said. "Though I think in general lies are always bad. If it were about something important to me I would want to know the truth I think, even if it was painful."

"Really?'

"Sure, I think most people long to know what's real. I mean if your happiness is based on a lie doesn't that just mean it isn't real? I mean would you be happy living a lie?"

"Yes! I've had very little happiness in my life Kouta, and I can honestly say I'd take any happiness I could no matter whether it came from truth or from a lie. Who in their right minds would prefer to be miserable? What is so wonderful about the truth any way? The world is ugly! People are ugly! If it takes a lie to make life bearable then so what?!"

Kouta was surprised to see her so worked up about it. "But isn't it worse to be happy if it's based on a delusion? I haven't been really happy since my father and sister died, but I'd still rather know that they're gone and grieve than imagine they're still alive somewhere. I would never want to live a lie."

Kouta, oh Kouta. She felt a deep ache in her heart. How can I tell you when it would only hurt you? When it would make you hate me? She wondered if it was impossible for them to ever be really close again. No matter what he said he was already living a lie. The nightmares and the panic attacks weren't caused by lies but by the truth. He didn't understand that the truth was often more horrible than any lie.

"You don't need to be so upset it's only my opinion," he said when she was silent for too long.

"I'm not upset Kouta," she said. "I just hope you never really understand that there are worse things than being happy and deluded."

He looked at her questioningly but she declined to explain.

They kept walking in a gloomy silence, Kouta unsure just why the atmosphere between them had gotten so serious. As they approached the dorms two boys who had been standing off to the side of the road walked up towards them. They were dressed in school uniforms with black hair that hung loose down past their shoulders. They both had silver eyes.

"Hello," one of them called out. "My name is Akira and this is my cousin Akio. I'm wondering if we could talk to you?"

"About what?' Kouta asked.

The one who had spoken gave him a wide smile of pointed teeth. "How would you like to be rich?"


	11. Message

"Rich?" He asked questioningly. "Well I certainly wouldn't mind, I've never really had very much."

The two slightly effeminate looking cousins shared a glance and grinned.

"We're sort of recruiters for someone," Akio said.

"Who?" Lucy asked immediately. She was a suspicious person by nature and these two were obviously up to something.

"Just someone who will need a few strong people and can pay very well," Akio said blandly.

"You mean like a part time job?" Kouta asked. He's been working for after school to help earn a little pocket change. His relatives took care of the necessities but if he wanted something of his own he preferred being able to pay for it himself..

"Exactly!" Akira said with a playful smirk.

"Well what would I have to do?" Kouta asked interested. his scholarship covered all his costs including food and school supplies but not much else. It would be good to have a way to earn money.

"Oh this and that," Akio said waving his hands about. "You do what you're told and you get paid really well for your time. If you serve well there'll be a place waiting for you when you graduate. A powerful man like you can rise very quickly in the organization."

"What organization?" Lucy demanded. She did not trust people who couldn't come right out and tell you what they wanted.

The cousins again shared a look.

"It's a small company you might say," Akio replied.

Akira nodded. "Small but with excellent benefits and they take good care of their people."

"Kouta is not interested." Lucy said flatly.

"Actually I might like getting a job," he said.

"You don't have time for a job," she reminded him. "With school and club and studying your schedule is full. Besides," she looked at the two cousins. "Where is this job going to be? Youkai Academy is a fish bowl there are no employers or jobs here."

The two cousins again shared a look. "It's easy enough to leave the school grounds and get anywhere through the dimensional tunnels." Akio said.

"Easiest thing in the world," Akira agreed.

"No," she said. Her look made it clear the matter was no longer up for debate. "Kouta can't leave the academy and that's that."

"Students are allowed to go places," Akio argued.

"Just not to the human world," Akira said.

"Well Kouta can't, he's on scholarship and not allowed off campus except with special permission." She took a hold of his arm. "Let's go Kouta."

"You usually do as your woman says?" Akira asked.

Kouta looked between the two boys and to Lucy who was looking back at him.

"Ah, I trust Lucy has my best interest at heart so I think I'll listen to her."

Nodding pleased she led them between the two boys who had to step back to let them though.

"Don't bother Kouta with this again," she told them.

The two cousins watched them go.

"The boss won't like this," Akio said. "Kouta looks to be pretty strong, especially if he has a vampire for a girlfriend. They don't date weaklings."

Akira nodded, proving the two of them knew nothing at all about vampires or Kouta's real situation. "We shouldn't just give up so easily though, he seemed interested. The girl is the problem."

"Maybe one of the boys should have a chat with her in private," Akio suggested.

Akira nodded. "Sounds like a good idea."

Holding hands the two of them headed back to the dorm.

XXX

As she dropped him off she spoke. "Kouta, don't have anything more to do with those two. They stink of trouble."

"They didn't seem so bad."

"You've led a very sheltered life haven't you?" She couldn't keep the sarcasm from her voice. "Look, you can't draw any special attention to yourself remember? You need to stay away from anything that's even a little bit suspicious and those two definitely qualify."

"I just thought it might be nice to get a job and earn some money," he said defensively.

"Don't worry about that," she said. "What would you do with it any way? The only place here to buy things is the campus bookstore. You have a place to live and free food what more do you want?" She knew that wasn't fair. She'd been given a place to stay and food when she was a prisoner. Even leaving the torture out of the equation she could understand the desire to have more.

"Heh, I guess you're right, good night Lucy."

"Good night."

After parting from Kouta she didn't head directly to the girls' dorm. She decided to go and see the Chairman instead.

XXX

She was there about an hour before heading back and it was already fully dark by that time. About halfway between the Chairman's mansion and the dorms there was a rough looking boy waiting for her right in the middle of the road.

"Let me guess you're waiting for me, right?' Lucy asked.

The boy nodded and casually took off his jacket. "My name is Honoo and I've been asked to deliver a message." He had a thick neck and squarish head. his arms were bulky and long.

"Yes?" She asked patiently. She was not surprised when the boy shed his human disguise and transformed into his true self. Being in disguise limited the amount of strength a monster could draw. In their true forms they were at full power.

The boy stood about seven feet tall and might have weighed better than four hundred pounds. His entire body was grayish and angular, as though he'd been assembled and put together.

"You're a golem," she guessed.

The blocky head nodded up and down. Golems were very powerful and not very bright or strong willed, they made ideal servants or strong men.

"The message is that you should break up with Kouta and let him make his own decisions from now on. If you agree I can leave you alone. If not I have to convince you."

"You do know that revealing your true form is against the rules?"

The head again went up and down. "I have orders."

"Orders from who?" She asked. Though I already know.

"I'm not supposed to say. Anyway are you going to break up with this Kouta guy or what?"

"Sorry," she replied with an evil grin. "But it will take a hell of a lot more than one stupid golem to make me stop hanging out with him."

The massive shoulders went up and down in a lazy shrug. "Suit yourself then." He approached her without any real eagerness but also without any hesitation. He got within ten feet of her when he suddenly felt hands grabbing him by his wrists and ankles. To his surprise he was suddenly lifted into the air.

"What the?"

"Actually I have a message for you too. Tell those two idiots to leave Kouta the hell alone or they'll get worse than this."

Without any warning he was flipped upside down. he was then sent head first into the road like a pile driven post.

XXX

From the nearby woods Akira and Akio watched as Honoo was slammed into the ground seven times. The entire time Lucy merely stood there looking on impassively. At last he was lying face down in a crater twenty feet across. They watched as Lucy appeared to fly over the crater with ease tot eh other side of the road. She then continued back to her dorm.

"I think we were recruiting the wrong person." Akira noted.

"Looks like it," Akio agreed.

XXX

The next morning she met Kouta as she always did without mentioning anything abut her run in. It was nothing he needed to worry about. She was here to take care of him, he didn't need to start thinking he had to try and take care of her.

"Here, this is for you." She handed him a plain brown envelope. "If that's not enough tell me."

He opened it and discovered it was filled with 1,000 yen notes, seeing all the money with all those zeroes he gawked at her. "How much is in here?"

"Two hundred thousand yen," she told him. (Roughly $2,000.) "If that's not enough tell me and I'll get you more. If you need anything Kouta come to me for it and I'll get it for you."

He stared at her. "Where did this come from. it's not from you is it?"

"I don't have a lot of money either," she said. Though if I did I'd give it all to you if you needed it. "That money's from the Chairman, think of it as an extra stipend to your scholarship. He wants you to be able to just concentrate on school without worrying about anything else."

"I can't accept this." He tried to hand it back to Lucy but she refused to take it.

"It's part of your scholarship, don't worry about it."

"But…"

"If you don't have anything to spend it on just save it fort he future," she said. "Now lets get going."

Unable to give it back Kouta shoved it into a jacket pocket and followed behind her.

XXX

During lunch Akira and Akio had their usual table and watched Kouta, Lucy, and Kahlua having their meal together. Kahlua and Kouta had bentos while Lucy ate the school lunch. Lucy glanced in their direction a couple of times but made no other effort.

"Should we recruit her cousin?" Akio asked.

Akira shook his head. "She's obviously not interested."

"True, but she took care of Honoo like he was nothing. Someone with that kind of strength would make a good member." Akio pointed out.

"Let's just keep an eye on her for now," Akira said. "We can also go after her again later."


	12. Promise

The first semester went by without any further major incidents. Kouta's reputation as a 'strong' monster and his association with a vampire meant no one took him lightly. The only one to bother him was Kahlua, and her regular feedings were endured and became routine.

Working with the newspaper club was pleasant enough though Daisuke on a few occasions kept them working through the weekends to have an edition ready on time. Lucy and Kouta learned how to write articles on various topics and edit them. Sun thrived under the pressures of having to put out a weekly paper and was multi talented. She not only wrote articles she also took pictures and had a comic strip that was very popular. It was called, 'Poor Kabuto!' and featured three characters; a hapless easy going male named Kabuto, a female vampire who was always dressed in a gown named Kiyoko, and a serious girl with the name of Lisa. The strip largely portrayed Kiyoko chomping on him and Lisa grabbing his arm saying, 'Mine!' Kabuto pretty much was the rope in a tug of war between the two girls. Kouta thought it was funny, Lucy not so much, but it was harmless enough.

As the semester went along there was slow rise in the number of violent incidents committed on the school grounds. There was talk of an actual gang operating with growing impudence and strength, but nothing truly blatant or heinous had happened yet. Daisuke had mentioned investigating the rumors but had held off publishing anything in the paper as yet. Kouta had wanted to mention Akira and Akio but Lucy had cautioned him against it.

"Don't borrow trouble Kouta," she had warned him.

"What do you mean?"

"I mean they haven't bothered you since then so don't do anything to bring yourself back to their attention." She had not told him about the golem attack and so he did not understand just how dangerous they really were.

"But don't we owe it to Daisuke and the newspaper club to tell him we might have a lead?" Kouta argued.

"No," she had said. "It's just a club Kouta! Don't act as though we have some sort of duty to it. You know you can't afford to bring attention to yourself. Just let sleeping dogs lie and forget about it."

He hadn't really been happy about that, but had agreed to keep quiet.

The most challenging aspect of that first semester had been the actual classes.

Both Kouta and Lucy struggled to at least reach passing grades in all their classes. (To both their surprises Kahlua actually did quite well with minimal effort.) Kouta had always been a poor student, finding it hard to concentrate on subjects that did not hold his interest. Lucy had missed most of her schooling, not having attended since being a child at the orphanage. Six months of intense cramming and the help of tutors had let her catch up enough to at least be competent to attend High School. Now that she was attending regular classes and acting as Kouta's bodyguard she was on her own though.

She had trouble concentrating on her studies as well, though for different reasons than Kouta. Given her brutal life experiences she simply found it hard to take things like algebra or English very seriously. She was not a normal girl, she wasn't ever going to go to college what did it matter is she could find the angles' tangent or identify the adjective in a sentence? When was any of that going to help her? She considered all the subjects they were covering equally useless.

Though there was one thing about her studies she was grateful for.

XXX

Kouta put his head down in despair. "This is hopeless!" He moaned.

She reached over and patted his shoulder. "Come on, tomorrow's the last days of the final exams, then we can relax and enjoy summer break."

"Unless I fail, then I get stuck with summer school." He said morosely.

"Better not fail then," she said. She picked up a plate and held it out to him. "Have a cookie."

"Thanks," he said and began to munch on one.

Lucy was entirely content, worries about summer school and passing tomorrow's exam didn't weigh on her at all. She wouldn't have minded summer school a bit just as long as she was in class with Kouta. At the moment they were all alone together in her room. They were sitting on the floor at a mini table. Since they both had the exact same class schedule studying together had been a no brainer.

Lucy was happy. Kouta was here with her in her room eating a cookie she had baked just for him. No stupid vampires were in the way and she had him completely to herself. This was heaven. The only thing that would make it even better was if they were doing something other than studying. It was needless to say that if Kouta had made any sort of advances on her she would have encouraged them. He never had though, even though they were all alone and he was literally just inches away he had never tried anything with her.

She would have been happy to try and initiate things, but was totally inexperienced. She had no idea how men and women interacted. She had made cookies for him and sat close and was attentive to anything he said, beyond that she didn't know what was expected. She didn't dare come right out and ask him for fear of having him see her as too aggressive and pushy. She didn't know any subtle way to convey her interest. It was frustrating to have him so near and still be unable to do those things she longed for.

Glancing at him as he munched away she fantasized about how wonderful it would be to have him look into her eyes and finally see the longing that was there. He would turn to her and take her hand gently into his own and whisper her name. Then he would begin to lean close, his lips approaching hers. He would look deep into her eyes and in a lover's voice he would say…

"I just can't do this," he snarled in frustration.

"Yes you can Kouta! Do whatever you want with me!"

He looked up from the text book startled. "What?"

She suddenly snapped out of her daydream to see him looking at her blankly. "Ah, excuse me?"

"What did you just say?"

"Ah, I said you could do it."

He sighed. "What's the point? I mean does it even make a difference whether I pass or fail? Even if I pass I can't go anywhere I'm stuck here until I graduate right?"

"No, you can't go to the human world until you graduate. You can still leave the campus like all the other students. If you want to go somewhere I can get permission from the Chairman to clear it."

"But where else is there to go?" He asked in frustration. "I'm human it's not like I can go to a place filled with monsters right?"

"That's not true," Lucy told him. "A lot of monsters like being in human form and prefer it to their true selves. There are plenty of places you can go where no one will notice you, especially if you're in the school uniform." She looked at him more closely. "Are you wanting to go somewhere?"

"Well yeah, I've been stuck here for four months now. Don't you feel confined too? Don't you want to go somewhere else?"

His asking her that proved he had no idea what the word 'confined' really meant. After her years at the research facility she still felt exhilarated just getting to walk outside under open sky. She had no desire to go anywhere, she was at Kouta's side and that was the only place she had ever longed for.

"I'm fine, but if you want to go somewhere else all you had to do was ask Kouta. How about we go somewhere the day after tomorrow? Tomorrow's the last day of classes for the semester and we don't have a newspaper due. It'll be a Saturday and most of the students will be leaving to go home for summer break any way."

A thought suddenly occurred to him. "What about you? Are you going home for summer break too?"

She shook her head. "I don't have anywhere to go Kouta." My place is with you anyway.

"You don't have a home? Or at least any people you want to visit?" Given his own background he was naturally sympathetic.

"This place is home for now," she told him. "And I've always been alone." He gave her a sad look and she shook her head at him. "Its fine, I'm used to it."

"Yeah, but its awful being alone," he said in a small voice.

She couldn't really deny that. "I'm used to it," she repeated.

He surprised her then by taking her hand and looking intently into her eyes. "You're not alone though, you have me Lucy. I won't let you be alone any more, I promise."

She was startled by the sudden and unexpected promise and by the intensity with which he spoke the words. His hand felt very warm and very strong. It gave her the sense that he was keeping her safe.

"All... all right," she said in a hesitant voice. "I won't let you be alone either. Let's always be there for each other so that we're never alone again."

He nodded and held his hand up with his pinky extended. "Here, it's a pinky promise."

She remembered the only other time she'd made one of those.

XXX

"Let's always be friends!" An eight year old Kouta had told her. He held out his hand with his pinky extended.

Lucy had just looked at him strangely. None of the other children had ever interacted with her except to bully her. She had never made a pinky promise with anyone. "What are you doing?"

"You have to hook your finger with mine and then you have to say, 'Cross my heart, hope to die, eat a thousand needles, if I lie.' Now you have to keep the promise or eat a thousand needles."

"That's just stupid," an eight year old Lucy had told him. "There's no way anybody could make me eat a thousand needles."

"Aw, come on, it's a way to show I'm really serious about my promise."

Even though she'd thought it kind of silly she'd hooked her pinky with his and together they'd sworn to always be friends.

XXX

Lucy hooked her pinky with his and together they chanted the childhood promise.

Afterwards Kouta laughed. "I guess it's pretty silly to still be doing that at our age."

"No," she said quietly. "It's just a way to show you're serious about the promise."

XXX

As she always did she walked him back to his dorm.

"So we can really go somewhere this Saturday?" He asked eagerly.

"Sure Kouta, just bring some money with you," she told him. "We can make a day of it."

"Okay," he said with a grin as he headed towards the stairs. "It's a date then."

She was turning to go when she froze and suddenly snapped her head back around. "A… a date? Is that what it is?"

Kouta didn't hear her though and was already headed up the stairs.

She stood there a moment just staring at the empty stairwell.

"A date with Kouta," she said out loud. Her heart was starting to beat at a fast clip and she wondered if there was any way she could get a dress to wear before Saturday.


	13. Date

The following day Lucy did something she had never ever thought she would do under any circumstances. Something she knew she would regret, but did anyway for Kouta's sake.

She asked Kahlua for a favor.

"I need a dress," Lucy muttered.

Kahlua's eyes lit up. "Okey dokey! You can have one of my pretty gowns!"

"I don't want a gown!" Lucy pictured herself in one of the ostentatious outfits Kahlua always had on. The idea of dressing up like the ridiculous vampire made her want to hide her head. "Look, all I want is a dress, something casual and feminine. You know, something normal."

Kahlua frowned a bit and looked disappointed. "Normal is boring though!"

"Normal is the only thing I've ever wanted to be," Lucy told her feeling annoyed.

"I don't have normal boring clothes," Kahlua said. "What happened to yours?"

"The only clothes I have are my uniforms and school issued garments."

When she'd arrived it had literally been with nothing, not even with clothes on her back. The Chairman had provided her with the basic necessities and that had been plenty to satisfy her. When you had nothing anything seemed like a lot.

"Look, I don't want any gowns or prom dresses. I just need something I can wear that will look good and won't draw any attention."

"Want to borrow one of Antoinette's maid uniforms?"

Lucy shook her head. "Why did I bother?

Kahlua frowned as she racked her brains. "Want to borrow one of the dresses form the fashion club?"

"Well that actually sounds like a good idea," Lucy said. "What kind of outfits do you have?"

XXX

"So I can borrow this?"

"Sure thing," Kahlua said enthusiastically.

They were in the club's room and Lucy was standing in front of a full length mirror. She had on a basic light blue sundress. It showed off her shoulders and the top of her breasts without being too revealing. It came down to her knees and fit her well. Along with the dress she had borrowed some open toed pumps and a fashionable leather purse. Seeing herself in the mirror Lucy was pleased. It was just what she'd been hoping for; feminine and cute and normal.

"I'll return this Monday," she promised.

"Okey dokey," Kahlua said. "If you want you can use the clothes here for the summer, the club doesn't meet again until next semester."

"Hmmm," she gave the racks of clothing a speculative glance. "Thanks for the offer. I don't know if I'll need them though."

Kahlua tilted her head slightly. "You need to dress up? How come?"

"No reason in particular," Lucy replied quickly. "So when are you leaving to go home?"

"Monday," she said gloomily. "It's going to be hard not getting to eat Kouta every day."

"I'm sure you'll manage," Lucy said rather dryly. "Anyway thanks for letting me borrow this."

"So there's no special reason you wanted a dress?" Kahlua asked again.

"No," Lucy left swiftly before the annoying girl could ask her again.

XXX

Kouta was relieved when the last test was finally over. He thought he did well enough to pass. The final semester grades would be posted lout in the courtyard along with the standing for all the freshmen. Lucy thought she did all right but had been distracted by thoughts of her upcoming date with Kouta.

They agreed to meet in the boys' lobby at 11. They would be out for the entire day. Lucy was there fifteen minutes early and had to fight to keep the butterflies in her stomach under control. She was surprised at how nervous she felt, she hadn't been this worried fighting Kahlua or that golem. Of course those had just been fights, the worst thing that could have happened was that she'd get mangled or killed. This was a date with Kouta and if she screwed up somehow he might end up not liking her. Which meant this was much more important than some simple life and death fight.

When Kouta came down a few minutes before 11 he was wearing a simple button down shirt, jeans, and sneakers. As soon as he saw her he had a huge smile on his face. Her knees got so weak she was afraid she might suddenly fall over.

"Hey Lucy," he called as he came over. She saw his eyes look her over and he nodded appreciatively. "Wow you look great!"

She felt her face blush and her heart begin to race. She was suddenly very grateful to Kahlua for letting her get dressed up. "Thank you Kouta, you look nice as well. Are you ready to go?"

"Sure, but you still haven't said where it is we're going."

"It's a place called 'Mononoke Arcade' it's sort of like a Super mall made for monsters. It has shops, restaurants, general stores, salons, supermarkets, arcades, and even a movie theater. I know how much you've been wanting to spend some of your money so I thought we could go get lunch, do some shopping, maybe see a movie, and then have dinner before we come back. We have permission to be off campus for the whole day."

"Sounds good," he said. "I'm really looking forward to getting to hang out with you away from school and studying."

"Me too Kouta," she said happily. "Come on, let's go."

XXX

Describing Mononoke Arcade as a super mall really didn't do it justice. It wasn't a single building but rather a shopping district with many small and large businesses packed together around narrow streets and pathways. The streets were much too small for automobiles and customers got from place to place on foot. The signs were in various languages, not just in Japanese but in English, French, Hindi, and mandarin Chinese as well. Prices were mostly in US Dollars, Euros, Yen, and Chinese Yuan. The shops themselves offered an impressive array of goods. There were the latest Japanese electronics, leather shoes from Italy, the latest DVDs and CD from the United Sates, books and magazines in every language, as well as restaurants of just about every sort.

When they first arrived they were both hungry and had some Thai food at a small place run by a family of wood nymphs. After getting lunch they began to walk along one of the main avenues looking at the different shops. They also looked at their fellow shoppers. The streets were pretty full with about a quarter of the people appearing to be monsters of one sort or another. Kouta couldn't keep from gawking at a man who was at least ten feet tall and had to weigh 500lbs or more.

"You shouldn't stare," Lucy admonished. "It's not polite."

"Uh, sorry about that, I'm just not used to seeing monsters," he said.

"What are you talking about? You see them every single day."

"Well sure, I mean I realize they're monsters when I think about it. But you get used to things after awhile, I don't really think of them as monsters any more. Like with you."

"Oh?" She tried to keep the eagerness from her voice. "How do you see me?"

"I see you as my friend, and as a regular girl," he told her. He looked over at her appearing slightly concerned. "That is okay isn't it?"

"Well of course," she murmured. "I'm glad that you see me that way." She wondered if he had any idea just how pleased she was to hear that. He seemed to be taking it for granted. Was that a good sign?

As they were walking a woman dressed up like a witch with pointy hat and wand came out of an ice cream parlor with her 8 or 9 year old daughter. The little girl was dressed up similarly and was eagerly licking an ice cream cone.

"Don't make a mess Yukari-chan," her mother playfully lectured.

"I won't momma! Desu!" The little girl replied.

Kouta looked at them curiously as they went by. "Are they real witches you suppose or just dressed up for cosplay?"

"They are certainly witches," Lucy answered automatically. "Normal human beings would have no idea this place exists."

"What would happen if someone stumbled on it somehow?"

She shrugged. "That would all depend on how they react I suppose and on who caught them. This place isn't the academy Kouta so I don't know what the rule is. Different hidden worlds have different philosophies on how to deal with intruders. Some kill them without question. Some, like the fairies, use magic to make their visitors believe it was a dream. Some, like the Yukki-onna, force them to stay."

"So if I were found out here anything could happen?"

"Well I suppose, but why would you be found out? I mean look," she waved at all the people around them. Most looked completely human, and only a handful were wearing the Youkai school uniform. The majority were just dressed in various fashions that could be found all around the globe. "You don't stand out Kouta. Unless you start acting weirdly and bringing attention to yourself you have nothing to worry about."

"Well that's good to know." He said.

As they continued walking Lucy couldn't help but notice how many couples there were in the crowd around them. Just about all of them seemed to be holding hands. Though she was walking right by his side Kouta made no effort to take her hand. In a way that was only natural. They walked together all the time at school and never held hands there. On the other hand though, this was a date wasn't it? Weren't couples on dates supposed to hold hands?

What would he think if I suddenly reached out and took his hand? She once again found herself facing the same old dilemma. She desperately wanted to get closer to Kouta, but was afraid of doing something that would turn him off. She just didn't know what was acceptable and what wasn't.

He said this was a date, so holding hands would be normal wouldn't it? She decided to take a small risk and ever so hesitantly stretched out her hand.

"Oh! Look, manga!" Kouta called excitedly and headed towards a comic shop before her hand could touch his.

Sighing half in frustration and half in relief she followed after him.

XXX

For the next few hours they tramped all over the Arcade visiting various stores. Kouta really had been eager to spend some of his money. He bought himself a stack of manga, a bunch of CDs from various artists and a portable CD player. He bought himself a laptop, an MP3 player, and a cell phone even though she'd warned him he would not have internet access or cell signal at the academy. The only clothing he bought was a beautiful black leather jacket that cost more than everything else put together. She thought he looked very good in it and told him so.

Kouta was not the only one to do some shopping. Lucy also got a modest stipend from the Chairman. While not much she hadn't spent anything all semester and so had just about all of it available. She bought a few dresses, shirts, pants, and shoes. She found herself asking Kouta what he thought about each outfit and when he mentioned he thought she looked really good in a couple of them they were immediately purchased. Though not quite as romantic as she'd hoped she was still having a wonderful day.

"People are staring," Kouta commented.

"So? This is more convenient."

A few feet behind them all their bags were in the air trailing after. Lucy's vectors never got tired.

"Are you sure I can't buy you anything?" Kouta asked yet again. All through the afternoon he had offered to pay for her clothes. "You know, as a way to thank you for watching out for me."

"I don't want you to spend your money on me Kouta," she told him. "Anyway you don't need to thank me for that. I am always happy to watch out for you."

She wasn't sure but she thought he looked disappointed. He had already paid for lunch and was promising to pay for the movie and dinner too. Wasn't that enough? She thought it would be greedy to let him pay for her shopping too.

Or were you supposed to do that on a date?

She wanted to snarl. It was so damn frustrating trying to guess how she was supposed to act. If she were fighting for her life it would be simple, she would do whatever she needed to to win. Winning usually meant killing her opponent, which was simple and straightforward.

The problem here was that she didn't want to kill Kouta. She wanted him to fall in love with her like she was already in love with him. How did you go about that though? She didn't understand the rules or strategies of dating. She didn't know what she was supposed to do to make him open his eyes and see that she was utterly completely and hopelessly in love with him.

Her natural instinct was to grab him, shake him, and scream in his face, 'Kouta you idiot! I'm in love with you! Make me yours already!' Somehow though she thought that might scare him off. Relationships were hard.

They were passing a store window when something caught her eye.

"Kouta! Do you still want to buy me something?" She asked excitedly.

He peered into the store window wondering what she had in mind. There was an Italian leather purse marked for 20,000 Yen and a Versace original that was 34,000. He gulped, but nodded his head bravely. "Sure, whatever you want to get."

"Great!" Without thinking about it she grabbed his hand and dragged him into the store with her.

She wasn't looking at his face so missed the sudden blush that appeared there.

XXX

"This is all you wanted to get?"

All she'd asked him to buy for her was a simple blue wool cap. Price; 800 Yen.

She was hugging it to her chest as if it were her dearest treasure… which it was.

"Someone who was very precious to me bought me a cap just like this one. I lost it a long time ago. Having you buy this for me is like getting the original one back all over again." She couldn't tell him that he'd been that precious person, but she knew. This simple wool cap represented those golden days with Kouta, before it had all gone so horribly wrong. She put the cap on and turned to him smiling. "What do you think?"

The cap didn't really go with her outfit, but the sight of Lucy smiling at him always took his breath away.

"I think you look beautiful," he told her truthfully.

She had to look away to keep him from seeing her face turn completely red.

"Ah, so are we still going to see that movie?" She asked.

XXX

He'd wanted to see a Hollywood action flick. She'd wanted to see the love story that was playing. They compromised and decided to see a horror movie.

Von Helsing's Revenge: Part Six was a picture made in the monster realms. It was a typical stalker / slasher flick with a few differences. The seven 'innocent kids' were all vampires and the 'monster' was a human vampire hunter named Von Helsing. The vampires were trapped at a remote castle where one by one they were gruesomely slaughtered. The killings all took place in broad daylight as the helpless (and dumb) vampires were separated and dispatched with a very respectable amount of gore.

The vampire hunter was impervious to fire, drowning, falls from great heights, and was stronger than his monster foes. He was however no match for the innocent virgin vampires and a flintlock pistol.

Given the horrors she had witnessed (and caused) in her life Lucy was not frightened in the least. She noticed however as the first vampire bit the dust that the girls in the audience would all grab onto their dates and hold tight through the gruesome scenes.

When the second vampire got a stake through the heart she pretended to be terrified and grabbed onto Kouta squeezing him tight. "Scary!" She whimpered.

Kouta was startled but didn't seem to mind.

She got to hold him close for the rest of the film, careful to hide her pleased smile.

XXX

When the movie ended they got a good dinner and it was at last time to return to the academy.

When they got back to the boys' dorm things were quiet and they were all alone in the lobby.

"Well I guess this is good night," he said. Both his hands.

"I guess it is." She replied. "Thank you for a really great day."

"No, thank you for getting me off the campus for awhile."

"No problem, just let me know when you want to go again."

"Sure," he said. "You know if this was a regular date I'd probably try and give you a good night kiss."

"Ah, well, if this was a regular date I'd be happy to give you a good night kiss."

"Really?" He asked looking into her eyes.

"Yes, absolutely, if it was the boy I cared about I'd be only too happy to kiss him." She slowly leaned forward and closed her eyes and her mouth.

"Well whoever gets to go on a real date with you is one lucky guy. Anyway good night Lucy I'll see you tomorrow."

She opened her eyes to see him already heading towards the stairs. "Ah, good night Kouta."

XXX

She calmly left the boys' dorm and crossed the Quad to the girls'. She calmly climbed the stairs to her room and entered silently. She shut and bolted the door. She then screamed at the top of her lungs.

"KOUTA YOU IDIOT!!!"


	14. She did what?

The grades and the freshman rankings were posted on a board set up in the quad between the dorms. The Japanese were strong believers in open competition and in embarrassment as being a strong motivator. Out of 280 freshmen Kouta had ranked 236. Lucy had not done much better ranking only 212. The two of them were standing out in a small group of students, they were mostly the ones who'd been unsure of whether or not they would need to attend summer school. Those who'd been more certain they had passed were already gone, including Sun who had been number 25.

XXX

The previous day

"How did it go?" Sun had come over eager to find out about her 'date.' Lucy didn't really have any other female friends. (Unless you counted Kahlua which she most definitely did not.) She had gone to Sun asking for advice and he girl had dropped by to see her before leaving for home.

"It went all right," Lucy told her. She'd gotten over her frustration at Kouta's unbelievable blindness and chosen instead to focus on the positives. They had gotten to spend the whole day together and she couldn't help but feel they'd drawn a bit closer. He'd admitted he saw her as a regular girl and he had treated her like one. Becoming his girl someday didn't seem so out of reach. "We had a good time."

Sun grinned at her excitedly and wrote. "How good?" Before Lucy could answer she flipped the page on her sketchbook and was drawing again. Lucy waited a beat to see what was being drawn. Sun flipped it over to show Lucy a drawing of her and Kouta lying in bed together both smoking cigarettes as Lucy turned to him and said, 'So was it good for you?'

Lucy blushed a deep red. "We didn't do anything like that!"

"You're blushing," Sun wrote.

"Who the hell wouldn't blush when you bring up something like that?"

"So? What happened?"

Lucy decided to go ahead and share the details of their pseudo date. It was a new experience having a female friend she could discuss things like this with. She did have to edit certain things like the wool cap she'd had him buy her. Telling her might lead to questions about why she'd wanted it that Lucy preferred not to answer. Sun was very sharp and quite good at reading people. She did relate most of what happened including how the date had ended.

Sun nodded sympathetically and wrote, "You're right, he's an idiot."

"I know," Lucy sighed. "I don't know what else I can do to show him how I feel though."

Sun drew he image of Kouta on the ground as Lucy ripped off his pants shouting, "Mine!"

"I'd rather not assault him," Lucy told her.

"You know he'd love it," she wrote.

XXX

"All that studying and the best I could do was 236?" Kouta sounded depressed.

"It's all right Kouta," she said trying to cheer him. "The important thing is that you passed all your classes."

"That's true," he said. "I would hate to have to spend the summer studying. It would be even worse if I had to repeat the semester."

During his first few days he had still been desperate to find some way out. He had brought up the idea of failing all his classes and losing his scholarship.

Lucy had quickly poured cold water on the notion by informing him that even if he got zeroes he would not be released. He would instead be forced to retake the failed classes again until he passed them. The terms of the scholarship he accepted stated he could be kept at Youkai for a maximum of five years. And the Chairman would keep him there that long. Which meant the fastest way out of Youkai was to simply pass his classes and graduate in three years time.

Unlike Kouta Lucy wasn't worried about her class rank. Looking at the board though she couldn't help but feel a sudden sense of annoyance. "Just how the hell did Kahlua rank thirteenth?" Lucy growled. Despite her help with the dress she couldn't think of the childish blonde vampire without a deep sense of annoyance. The fact she would be off campus for a couple months was a huge relief.

"Maybe we should study with her?" Kouta suggested.

Lucy sent him a look.

"Or not," he said meekly.

As they were talking a silver limo pulled up by the boys' dorm and honked its horn. The back door opened and Kahlua popped out dressed in a bright yellow strapless gown. "Koooooouta!" She shouted waving her arms about excitedly.

"What? Did we summon her or something?" Lucy asked.

"Heh, she probably wants to say goodbye before she leaves for home."

"She probably wants a snack," Lucy said feeling annoyed.

"That too," Kouta agreed.

Lucy sighed. "Well you may as well get it over with." She didn't bother to go with him as Kouta went over to say goodbye and get bitten yet again.

XXX

Kahlua was literally jumping about in excitement as Kouta approached her. "Kouta-kun! I have great news! Daddy says he's going to be very busy with work and won't be able to make time to see me for the summer!"

Kouta looked at her questioningly. "I thought you liked your father?"

"I do," she confirmed. "I love daddy, he's the best."

"Then why is it good news he won't be able to spend time with you?"

"Daddy said I could use one of his chateaus for the summer! He even said I could have some guests stay with me if I want! That means you get to spend the summer with me Kouta-kun!"

"Well I appreciate the thought Kahlua, but I'm afraid I can't…"

She grabbed him and easily tossed him into the back seat of her limo. She then jumped in and shut the door. "Let's go Garak!"

"Yes mistress," her servant put the car in drive and sped away.

XXX

Lucy watched as Kouta was thrown into the limo.

"Hey!" She shouted.

Before she could do anything they were speeding away headed for the tunnel that could literally take them anywhere on earth.

Lucy stared at the swiftly departing limo. "You have got to be kidding me! She kidnapped him?!"

Lucy had no idea that this was just the start of the most interesting summer of her whole life.


	15. Rescue

"Hey! You can't go in there!"

The Chairman was not particularly surprised when he looked up from his reports to see Lucy burst in through his office door.

"There's an emergency! Kouta's been kidnapped! You need to help me find him!"

Right behind her a woman with glasses and blue hair tied up in a bun appeared. "I'm sorry sir, I tried to stop her but she just came right in!"

"That's all right Aoi, I'll see her now. You can return to your desk."

"Yes sir," his secretary sent Lucy an unhappy look before shutting the doors.

Lucy didn't notice it and wouldn't have cared if she had. "We have to find out where he is as soon as possible! There's no telling what that crazy bitch will do to him!"

"And who are you referring to Lucy?" The Chairman asked with maddening calm.

"Kahlua! She forced him into her car and then drove away! I saw it with my own eyes. I need you to find out where she's taken him so I can go and save him!"

One of the Chairman's eyebrows quirked over a glowing eye. "Save him? Do you think that's really necessary?"

She glared at the man and his relaxed posture; he didn't seem even slightly concerned. "Haven't you heard what I've said? Kahlua kidnapped him! He could be anywhere, trapped with a vampire who's thirsty for his blood!"

"As I understand it she is always thirsty for his blood."

"But now she has him trapped! What if she kills him?!"

"If she kills him she won't be able to drink any more of his blood will she?"

Lucy glared at him furiously. He sounded amused!

"Calm down Lucy, I am sure he is perfectly safe. Didn't you tell me he was feeling a bit constrained here on campus? He'll probably enjoy a change of scenery."

She imagined him chained up in some dank pitch black dungeon waiting in terror to have Kahlua come and drain him almost to death. "I doubt he's going to be enjoying whatever hell hole that ditzy bitch locks him up in." She'd had experience being a prisoner and was not going to let Kouta suffer that for even a minute. "I'll kill her for this, I really will."

"No you will not," he told her sharply. Upset more by that comment than by the news Kouta had been abducted. "If you do that you will forfeit your life, and it won't even be me who kills you but her father. Get any thoughts of killing Kahlua out of your mind right now Lucy."

"Fine, I won't kill her," Lucy told him. I'll settle for ripping her arms off and beating her to a bloody pulp. "But I am going to get Kouta back! I need you to find out where he is and I'll go rescue him. I mean for all we know she might have taken him to the human world.

"So what if she did?" The Chairman asked disinterested. "Kouta would likely enjoy spending a couple months back there."

"But he isn't allowed to return there until he graduates, it's against the rules."

The Chairman merely smiled at her. "His presence here violates the academy's number one rule. Why would I be concerned about his breaking some of the others?"

She frowned at him. "That's not what you said when I asked if we could go somewhere in the human world for a day or two. You said it would be against the rules and so it couldn't be allowed."

"Well if Kouta started to believe he could just leave whenever he felt like it that would cause trouble. It would have been inconvenient."

"So you only follow your own rules when they're convenient?"

"Pretty much," he replied with a grin. "It's good to be the Chairman."

"Oh the hell with it," she growled. "I don't really care anyway. I just need to know where she's taken him. You must know, you know pretty much everything it seems."

"If I tell you will you promise not to kill her?"

"Sure."

"Do you also promise not to tear off any of her limbs and beat her to a bloody pulp?"

She gasped and gave him a startled look. Had he actually just read her mind? "Ok," she answered slowly. "I won't rip off her limbs and I won't beat her up too badly. I won't promise not to hurt her at all though, especially if she tries to get in my way."

"I suppose that will have to do. Come back here tomorrow morning and I should have the information for you."

"Tomorrow morning?" She boomed. "Why can't you tell me now?"

"Because I have no idea where she is," he replied pleasantly. "While I appreciate your faith in me Lucy I am not omniscient. I can likely track her down for you but I will need a little time. Come back here tomorrow morning at 9."

"But…"

"Tomorrow Lucy," he told her firmly. "I am quite sure Kouta will be safe until then."

"Fine," she grumbled. "I'll be back tomorrow. Kouta had better be all right though."

XXX

Lucy barely ate or slept.

When she thought about being a prisoner she thought about her own experiences in the research facility.

She was pretty sure nothing Kahlua did to him could come close to that level of abuse. But she was still holding him against his will and forcing him to do whatever she wanted. She imagined him locked up in a dark room without even a window or a light. Kahlua visiting him four or five times a day to greedily drink his blood.

"I'll save you Kouta," she whispered to herself as she lay on her bed wide awake. "I swear I'll save you."

XXX

The chairman was heading to his office a bit before 8:30.

"Have you found out where he is?"

Lucy was there waiting for him with an annoyed looking Aoi.

He shook his head in amusement. "I see you couldn't wait."

"I don't want Kouta to suffer even one minute longer then he has to," Lucy told him. "Now please, do you know where he is being kept?"

The chairman nodded and produced a folded memo from out of his robe. "She is staying with him in a vacation home just outside a small Japanese resort town called Kamakura."

Her eyes widened. "Kamakura? Are you joking?"

"I hear it's a very nice place."

"Opinions on that differ." She took the paper from him and looked at the address. She was sure she could find it without too much trouble. Kamakura, off all the places on earth why'd she bring him there?

XXX

She was dressed in a plain white shirt and some tan slacks. She knew she'd stand out in an unfamiliar school uniform. When she arrived she couldn't help but look out into the bay at the small island connected to the mainland by a bridge. The locals all believed it was a humble medical research facility.

And so it was.

It just happened to use dicloni for test subjects instead of rats or rabbits. Though they were treated about the same. Looking at the little island made her shiver. She would much rather die than ever go back inside that place. She just needed to find Kouta and bring him back to safety. Riding on her bicycle she was forced to stop and ask where the street she was looking for was.

She noticed a few boys around her age sending her interested looks. She sent them scowls that quickly had them looking away. She didn't like attention, and the only boy she wanted noticing her was Kouta. She would find him and save him.

The street she was looking for was on the edge of town. It was newly developed and had been empty ground back when she lived here. When she got to the address it was a pristine two story house with a large grass yard and driveway. Parked on the asphalt driveway was a silver limo.

She put her bike up against a tree and carefully spied on the place. The houses here were spread out so unless there happened to be a passing car there should be no problem with civilians getting in the way or witnessing things. She was considering the best approach when the front door burst open.

A thirteen year old girl with long pink hair ran out heading for the street.

"Noooooo! Leave me alone Kokoa!"

Chasing right after was a slightly younger girl with reddish orange hair wielding a gigantic metal club above her head. "Let my onee-sama out! I want my onee-sama!"

The two girls ran right past her heading back towards town. Lucy ducked behind some bushes and was not noticed. She was wondering what that had been about when she heard a man moaning. She felt her heart stop.

"Please don't be so rough Kahlua." She heard him say.

"Kouta!"

Hearing his voice coming from behind the house she decided to forget plans and simply ran intending to reach him as fast as she could. When she got to the back she saw him.

He was wearing nothing but some swim trunks and was lying on his belly in a lounge chair beside an Olympic size pool. By the chair were a couple empty glasses. Antoinette was there in her maid's uniform carrying a tray with another filled with what looked like some kind of fruity drink.

What really got her attention though was the sight of Kahlua sitting on the edge of his lounger dressed in nothing but a skimpy bright yellow two piece. She was pouring sun tan lotion onto his back and rubbing it on for him.

All three of them were looking over at her following her sudden arrival.

"Hey Lucy," Kahlua said in her usual melodic voice. "Want a margarita? Antoinette another margarita."

"Yes mistress."

Kouta sent her a slightly drunken, slightly guilty smile. "Er, I was going to call you to say I was all right. I kind of forgot."

Staring at him she could think of only one thing to say. "What the hell is going on here?!"

"What?" Kahlua asked blankly. "Do you want Kouta-kun to get a sunburn?"


	16. Yuka

"What the hell is going on here?!"

"What?" Kahlua asked blankly. "Do you want Kouta-kun to get a sunburn?"

Lucy ground her teeth and had to resist the urge to just strangle the girl. "I mean what is Kouta doing here with you in Kamakura?"

"Oh that," Kahlua sang out. "Well my daddy won't be able to spend time with me so there's no reason why Kouta-kun can't keep me company for the summer. He mentioned a few times that he loved Kamakura and had family here. Daddy owns resort homes all over the world including this one. I figured Kouta-kun would like coming back here."

Lucy knew that he had fond memories of this place. Memories that did not include her. During their time studying he would tell her bits and pieces of his life and had mentioned his summers here more than once. For Kouta there was nothing tragic about those memories. All the sad parts had been edited out. To him this place represented happy times with his family by the sea and nothing more.

She wished she could feel the same, but she hated Kamakura. Even though her happiest moments (before meeting Kouta again at Youkai) had taken place here for Lucy this would always be a place of horrors. This was where she had been abused as a child in that hellish orphanage. Where she had committed such terrible crimes against the one and only person she'd ever loved. And, irony of ironies, it was the location of the research facility where she'd been tortured as an adult. Kamakura was, literally, the last place on earth she ever wanted to see.

"Well I hate to ruin your plans, but Kouta can't stay here."

"How come?" Kahlua said with a pout.

"Because he's required to not visit the human world until he graduates!"Lucy told her. "You wouldn't believe how upset the Chairman is! He needs to come back with me right now!"

"Oh that's no problem," Kahlua waved her argument aside. "Daddy will fix it if there's any trouble." She seemed very certain of it.

"Lucy I don't want to go back," Kouta told her. "I want to stay here for summer break."

She frowned at him, really not happy at all with his response. "Kouta have you forgotten she kidnapped you?"

"Well, that did freak me out at first," he admitted. "But then she explained where we were going and that she would take care of all my expenses and even buy me new clothes and anything else I might need."

"Heh, heh I have to take care of my little Kouta-kun." Kahlua patted his head affectionately.

Seeing that, and seeing Kouta's amused grin made Lucy begin to slowly grind her teeth. Would the Chairman be that mad if I just ripped off one arm? "Kouta," she said trying to hold on to her temper. She had been sick with worry over him this entire time and here he was enjoying himself as the slutty vampire rubbed oil on him! She would have been happier finding him locked up in the broom closet. "She's just using you for your blood you know."

"So? How is that different from every other day?"

"Will you just get dressed already?" She shouted at him feeling really annoyed with him. "I'm taking you back!"

"I don't want to go back yet," he said stubbornly. "And you can't make me."

"Want to bet?" Lucy said darkly.

He suddenly felt a pair of hands on his shoulders. Lucy saw the fear in his eyes and hated being forced to this. He had gotten to the point of seeing her as a normal girl and here she was reminding him that she really wasn't.

"I'm not going to hurt you Kouta," she told him and immediately withdrew her vectors. "The only reason I came here was to rescue you."

"Rescue him from what?" Kahlua asked.

"From you," Lucy said pointedly.

"Now that's just silly," Kahlua said with a soft laugh. "Why would I ever hurt Kouta-kun? Not only is his blood the yummiest but he's such a good pet!" She patted his head again.

Lucy thought he looked a bit annoyed at that but he wound up accepting it with good humor.

"See Lucy? You don't need to worry I'm completely safe staying here with Kahlua."

Lucy's eyes immediately went over to Kahlua's tiny bikini and all the tanned skin that was exposed. She also couldn't help noticing that the girl thought nothing all about putting her hands all over him. "Opinions on that differ," Lucy said quietly.

"Huh? What was that?"

"Nothing," she said. "Look Kouta are you really sure you want to stay here for the summer?"

"Yeah, I'm sure Lucy. I have family here I haven't seen since I was a kid and I know this place like the back of my hand. I'll definitely have a good time."

"Fine, but in that case I'm staying too." She told him.

He had no idea what a sacrifice that was for her, or that it put her in very real danger of being discovered by someone from the research facility. She could not possibly leave him all alone with Kahlua.

"Okey dokey," Kahlua said. "You can stay here too Lucy. I think you'll fit into one of Antoinette's uniforms. How are you at scrubbing toilets?"

XXX

Yuka got dropped off in front of her house after a day of shopping and hanging out with her friends. She loved summer break. She was a very studious and hard working throughout the school year and a top student. She was also very cute with shoulder length light brunette hair and big adorable brown eyes. She'd already received several confessions and had politely turned them all down claiming she just didn't have the time for dating. All of her girl friends gave her endless grief telling her she was too serious and that she should have a boyfriend.

She had never told anyone her real reasons for being uninterested in romance. The fact was she was already in love with someone. Someone she hadn't seen or heard from in seven long years. Thinking about him made her sigh as it usually did. She wondered when she would ever see Kouta again. He hadn't visited or even called her since the night of the tragedy. Her parents and relatives never spoke about that night and all they would usually say about Kouta was that, 'he was doing as well as could be expected.' Just what did that mean exactly?

Every summer she wished he would come and stay with her family. It would have been no trouble at all as he could have had a room at the Maple Inn. Her family was talking about closing it, but even if they did she was sure he could still stay there. Thinking about him she of course remembered an eight year old boy with a happy smile. He had always been funny, warm, and kind and she had always felt drawn to him and safe when he was with her. What was he like now? She hadn't even seen a picture of him, was he as cute now as he had been back then? More importantly was he still the kind person she remembered?

Does he miss me? She wondered. In all the years he had never tried to contact her. Of course she had never tried to call him either. She just didn't know what to say to him. She didn't want to call him on the phone and have to struggle to complete a conversation. She wanted to see his face again and look into those kind eyes of his.

She wanted him to fall in love with her like she was in love with him.

She sighed again and wondered if it was just a silly fantasy. For all she knew he had a girlfriend now or had completely changed. It had been seven years after all. What were the chances he was still like she remembered? Even knowing it was silly she couldn't let go of her feelings or of her dream. She'd already decided that when it came time to go to college she would go to whatever school Kouta went to. She would find out one way or the other if there was any chance of being with him.

Carrying her shopping bags she headed toward the front door of her home. Both her parents were working at the Inn right now so she would have the place to herself for a few hours.

"Yuka? Is that you Yuka?" An uncertain voice called.

She looked up and was startled to see a young man standing on her front porch. He had black hair and startling blue eyes. He was dressed in a plain button down shirt and slacks. The second she saw his face she recognized him.

The bags fell from her hands as she ran to him. "Kouta!" She threw herself into his surprised arms and pressed her face to his chest as she hugged him for all she was worth.

Surprised, but pleased, he laughed and hugged her. "I guess you remember me."

XXX

"My parents are working right now but I know they'll be really happy to see you. You're staying for dinner right?" They were sitting together on the living room couch as she poured him a cup of fresh brewed tea. She was excited and very nervous to actually have him sitting there with her. There were a hundred questions she wanted to ask him.

To her great disappointment he shook his head. "I'm sorry but I can't. I'm just here while a couple friends of mine are off doing some shopping."

"What do you mean?" She asked unhappily. "You just show up out of the blue and you're not even staying for dinner? Why didn't you call and tell us you were coming to visit? The last I heard you were at some special private school and weren't going to be able to see anyone until you graduated." Yuka suddenly frowned. "Kouta! You didn't get expelled did you?"

"No, no it's nothing like that," he assured her. "I'm just spending the summer break here is all. I passed all my courses and I'll be going back for second semester."

Yuka was still frowning as she sipped her tea. "If you were wanting to spend the summer here why didn't you call us? My dad could have picked you up, and where are you staying?"

"I'm staying with a friend," he said being deliberately vague. He sipped his tea hoping she would drop the issue.

It was a vain hope.

"Who are you staying with Kouta? Maybe I know them." Kamakura was not a very big town if you didn't count the tourists who engulfed it every summer.

"Well, actually it's a friend from school whose family owns a vacation home here."

"What's his name? Where are you staying exactly? You can tell me that right?" She could tell he was trying to avoid the issue which only made her that much more determined to pin him down. He had just popped back into her life after seven years. There was no way she was going to let him just vanish again.

He looked a bit uncomfortable but decided to answer. "Well her name is Shuzen Kahlua and she sort of invited me to come spend the summer with her at the last minute. I'm also staying with another friend from school as well."

"You're staying with a girl at her family's home all summer?" Don't panic! Maybe she's really fat and ugly! "I assume there are some adults staying with you too… right?" She put some emphasis on that last word.

"Uh, well there are a couple servants but I think they're about our age though."

"You're friends with a girl who has a resort home and servants? My, my you're coming up in the world Kouta. That must be a really exclusive school you go to."

"You have no idea," he told her. He decided to try and change the subject. "It's really nice to be back here though. In a way this was the last place I was ever happy. Not long after we left my father got in that accident and then Kanae got sick."

Yuka looked at him oddly.

"What?"

"Kouta," she asked him gently. "What are you talking about?"

"What do you mean?"

Her parents had never told her exactly what had happened to Kouta. They'd never mentioned a mental breakdown or repressed memories.

"Kouta, your father and sister were murdered. They were killed on the train that was taking you home."

Kouta froze.

In his mind's eye he saw his little sister, tears in her eyes. "Brother!" She cried. "Don't say you hate me!"

Then he saw her little body was torn in half. Saw her blood gushing out to cover him. He remembered tasting it. He was looking down at her lifeless eyes, her tears still glistening.

"What are you kids up to?" His father asked as he came over.

Kouta turned just in time to see his head ripped from his shoulders.

XXX

His body began to shake as he had trouble breathing.

"Kouta! Are you okay?"

The cup fell from his hand and shattered on the wood floor. His head and arms were jerking wildly as he collapsed.

"KOUTA!"

As he entered the darkness he remembered seeing someone else on the train, a little girl with horns, he thought he knew her. But the blackness took him before he could remember who she was.

He only knew that she had murdered his family.


	17. Hospital visit

Lucy and Kahlua were riding in the back of her limo with several shopping bags filled with clothing. All of them were for Lucy, all of them paid for by her bubbly companion. Lucy understood that she should be grateful, but somehow couldn't feel anything but annoyance. She didn't like being in the debt of others.

"You didn't have to buy me these things you know," Lucy told her. "I didn't ask you to."

"I don't mind," Kahlua sang out. "I like shopping! Anyway you didn't want a maid's uniform and your clothes would have gotten stinky after awhile."

Lucy sighed. She'd been unwilling to leave Kouta alone with Kahlua long enough for her to go back to her room and retrieve her clothes. She'd also feared that if she returned the Chairman might suddenly appear to ask her some questions. He had a habit of showing up at the worst possible moment. She had reluctantly agreed to Kahlua's offer to buy her a new wardrobe.

"I'll repay you for this," Lucy told her.

Kahlua waved that off. "Don't worry, it didn't cost much and daddy was paying anyway." She flashed a couple of her platinum credit cards. "Daddy doesn't care how much I spend so long as I'm happy. If you want we could still get you some pretty gowns."

"No gowns!" Lucy growled at her. "I've told you before I just want to blend in with people. A gown is the last thing I'd wear."

"How come you don't want to have people notice you?" Kahlua asked curiously.

"I've had people notice me before," she said with a dark look. "It's better to just be ordinary believe me."

"Well that's probably easier for you any way."

Lucy narrowed her eyes. "How do you manage to be insulting even when you're agreeing with me?"

"It's a gift," she said airily. "So the dress you borrowed before it was for Kouta right? You were trying to look good for him."

"What makes you say that?" Lucy asked defensively.

The blonde vampire had a childish grin plastered over her face and leaned in uncomfortably close. "Why else would you want a dress?"

"Maybe I just wanted to get a dress, I am a girl after all." Lucy said. "Everything I do does not revolve around Kouta."

"Then how come you're staying here with me and him? Hmmmm? How come? How come? How come?" Each question was punctuated with a poke of her finger. Poke. Poke. Poke.

"Will you stop that?" She slapped her hand away. "I swear you're like a two year old! How the hell did you end up ranking 13th in the freshman class?"

"I have a photographic memory, anything I see I remember."

"You're kidding."

"The very first time we met your exact words to me were, 'all right that's enough! Kouta's not going anywhere with you!'" Not only the words but her inflection and angry tone were dead on.

"If you have a photographic memory then why didn't you remember seeing me with Kouta in class before?"

"Oh I only remember things that might be important. The trivial I just ignore."

Lucy began grinding her teeth. "You know you really are good at saying things to piss me off."

"It's a gift," Kahlua said brightly.

XXX

Heading back to the resort house the limo pulled up to the place they had dropped Kouta off. Garak honked the horn a couple times but there was no response. Kahlua rolled down the window and stuck her head out. "Koooooooooouta!"

"Will you stop that!" Lucy snapped. "You're going to draw attention to us!"

"So?" Kahlua asked. "I like getting attention, its fun."

"Not always," Lucy muttered.

The front door opened and a woman in her early 40's with long chestnut hair stepped out looking at them. "Are you Kouta's friends? From his school?"

"That's right," Kahlua sang out. "Could you tell Kouta-kun to come out please?"

"I'm afraid he's not here," Kouta's aunt informed her. "He's at the hospital."

XXX

The two girls entered the hospital practically shoulder to shoulder. They immediately drew everyone's attention. Mainly because Kahlua was dressed in a purple evening gown with matching high heels.

"Why don't you wait in the car," Lucy hissed at her. "I can check on Kouta on my own."

"Uh, uh," She answered with a sulky shake of her head. "I want to make sure Kouta-kun is all right. If he's not I'll give him some of my special medicine and that'll make him okey dokey in no time!"

"No you won't," Lucy said in a low voice. "Don't forget where we are. You can't reveal what you really are in this place. Besides, if he suffered a mental collapse your blood won't do him any good."

"Uh, uh," she replied. "My special medicine can fix anything."

"Kouta isn't physically injured; it sounds like he suffered one of his panic attacks. Your blood can't fix that."

"How come?"

"Because the only thing that can fix what's wrong with him is for him to get all his memories back." Something that mustn't ever happen. "Now come on, let's find out what room he's in."

They found out his room number from the front desk and went up to the second floor to see him. As they were turning the corner to go to room 212 Lucy noted a man and a young girl already waiting outside the door. The girl was in tears and the man was trying to comfort her. Lucy motioned for Kahlua to wait and, wonder of wonders; she did so without any childish argument.

"I didn't know!" The girl wailed. "Why didn't you and mom ever tell me about this?"

"We were trying to protect you honey," the man told her. "Having a mental breakdown and losing your memories isn't something to brag about. We were worried what you would think about Kouta if you knew something like that."

"What do you mean? He's my cousin and I love him! I wouldn't stop caring about him because of something like that! Especially not when I know the reason for it."

That's his cousin! The one he went to the festival with that night! Lucy looked at the girl and felt resentment. Even if it was unfair, she couldn't help but dislike her. In an odd way she'd been the one who had set her off on that night and set the whole tragedy in motion.

On the face of it Lucy knew that was ridiculous. Kouta had lied to her about his cousin being a boy, but Lucy knew that she alone was responsible for her actions. The girl had done nothing but spend a night at a festival with her cousin after all. Lucy knew that. Yet seeing her and being reminded of that cute little girl who had been so close and friendly with Kouta back then set her teeth on edge. Fair or not, justified or not, she couldn't help disliking the girl on sight.

"No one blames Kouta for this," her father told her. "Lord knows it's a miracle he's recovered as well as he has after what he saw. "

"Why didn't you tell me though? If I'd known I never would have brought it up!"

Did she cause this? Lucy frowned dangerously. She sees him and he ends up in the hospital because of her? If this girl was going to cause him problems Kouta was better off not seeing her.

"If we'd known he was coming we'd have told you not to bring that subject up. Why did he suddenly show up anyway? Is he in some kind of trouble?"

Yuka shook her head. "No, he's just staying with a friend from school at a vacation house for the summer. A female friend," she looked unhappy. "I was kind of worried about that because he's staying with her without any adult supervision. I don't think that's very proper."

"Yes it is!" Kahlua objected loudly. She went round the corner. "It's totally proper!"

"Idiot," Lucy cursed under her breath. She would have liked to have heard a bit more. She followed behind Kahlua to meet the man and young woman.

"Excuse me," the man replied looking at Kahlua and then at Lucy. "But who are you?"

"My name is Shuzen Kahlua and I'm Kouta's friend. This is my maid servant Lucy."

"I am not your maid you blonde idiot," Lucy snapped before turning politely back to the other two. "We're friends of Kouta's from the academy."

The man nodded. "I'm Kouta's uncle Hideo and this is my daughter Yuka, Kouta's cousin. We are pleased to meet you. It's good to know Kouta has made some friends."

Yuka was staring at the two girls. They were both gorgeous. Worse, the blonde one was dressed as though she were going to a ball and had a musical voice like a singer's. She obviously came from money. The idea of her spending the summer with Kouta unsupervised worried her even more now.

Without warning the blonde girl suddenly leaned in very close putting her face right to Yuka's neck. "Uh, ex… excuse me, what are you…" Yuka took a step back feeling uncomfortable by the girl's sudden proximity.

"You smell yummy," the girl sighed blissfully. "Just like Kouta –kun."

"Kahlua! Behave yourself!" Lucy grabbed her by the arm and yanked her back. "Remember where we are."

"But I'm hungry!" Kahlua pouted. "I was planning to eat when we picked Kouta up."

"If you're hungry the hospital has a cafeteria," Kouta's uncle offered. "Why don't you have a bite to eat and then rejoin us? Kouta's not in a serious condition so it's fine."

Kahlua sent a longing look Yuka's way that obviously made her nervous before nodding. "Okey dokey I guess I can do that."

As soon as Kahlua left Lucy bowed in apology. "Please forgive her, she has attention deficit disorder."

"Ah, I see," Hideo nodded having no trouble believing it.

"So what happened to Kouta? Is he okay?"

Hideo and Yuka shared an uncomfortable look.

"I already know about his panic attacks," Lucy told them quietly. "He had a couple minor ones while in school."

"I see," Hideo answered cautiously. "Well he had a rather severe one, but he's resting now. The doctors want to keep him overnight for observation but they plan to release him tomorrow."

"Thank goodness, I'm relieved that he's going to be all right."

"Are you and my cousin close?" Yuka asked.

Lucy gave the girl an aggressive smile. "Yes we are, in fact I think it's safe to say I'm closer to him than anyone." Especially some useless girl who puts him in the hospital the first time he sees her!

Yuka nodded. I am definitely going to have to do something to watch out for him.

XXX

In his bed Kouta slept, but not peacefully. In his mind the events of that night played themselves out over and over again. Each time they began with his sister crying to him not to hate her and ended with his looking at the dim image of a child with horns. He couldn't make out the details any better than that no matter how he tried. He couldn't see her eyes or make out the color of her hair. Her face was indistinct. He knew that he knew her. Her name was always on the tip of his tongue and more memories of her were there just out of reach.

Who was she? Why had she done it? Why had she hated him so? Why had she spared him? The answers were there, he was certain of it, but no matter how he tried he could not unlock them. The girl's identity was a mystery. Though one thing had become clear to him. The horns and the inhuman ability to tear a body apart, she was clearly no ordinary girl.

She was a monster.

Since she was probably about his age it was even possible that she was one of the monsters attending school with him. Had fate somehow sent him to Youkai Academy to let him avenge his family? The idea struck home with him powerfully. He was surrounded by hundreds of monsters. What if one of them had done this? The answer was obvious.

I'll find her and kill her.

XXX

Inside the hospital blood bank there were a couple empty transfusion packs on the floor and Kahlua was wiping her mouth.

"I love a buffet."


	18. Omake

"Hello everyone, Lucy here. Kouta and I will be answering some of your questions today."

"Hi," Kouta waves nervously. "Uh, why are we doing this again?"

"Well our author, Lord of the Land of Fire, thought it might be an entertaining break from the story line."

"He's having writer's block again isn't he?"

"Yeah. In any case our first letter…"

"Koooooooouta!!" A blonde vampire leaps in and glomps onto a helpless Kouta. "You smell yummy!"

CHOMP.

"Ow! Ow! OW! That really hurts you know!"

"Kahlua! Will you let go of Kouta!"

Releases him and wipes her mouth. "Ah! That was good like always." Notices stack of papers in Lucy's hands. "Whatcha doin'?"

"Nothing," Lucy snaps. "Go and find something sharp to play with."

"The author is having us spend this chapter answering questions from the readers," Kouta says as he rubs his neck.

"Author-kun has writer's block again?" Lucy and Kouta both nod. "I'm sure it'll pass really quickly. Author-kun is the best! He's the smartest, funniest, handsomest, hardest workingest, most…"

SMACK

"Owie!" Kahlua rubs back of her head and sends hurt look at Lucy. "Why'd you hit me?!"

"Stop sucking up to the author Sakura, he's not Sasuke."

"Huh?"

"Never mind," Lucy sighs and looks at the letters in her hands. "Let's get started. Scott pike writes 'So in reference to the manga, is this story happening before theirs, or during the same time or what?' This is actually one of the most common questions we received early on. As the author has already explained in an Author's Note this story takes place three years before the beginning of the Rosario Vampire timeline."

"A lot of the readers were really surprised when they realized the regular Rosario cast wouldn't be appearing except in cameo," Kouta put in. "Most of them are still wondering why he did that."

"Well obviously he recognized my star power." Kahlua says preening.

"Well we all make mistakes," Lucy mutters.

"Bleh!" Kahlua sticks her tongue out.

"Let's keep things moving along," Kouta says and takes the next letter. "Logan- Murder of Crows writes 'Well, actually, I think that if a Diclonius' horns are damaged they go into a catatonic state... I believe they're technically extensions of the brain, or house such extensions, that allow them to use vectors. So grinding them off or something like that would be like putting yourself in a coma...'" Blinks. "Wait minute, horns? What is he talking about?"

"Ah, I'll answer that one," Lucy says quickly snatching the paper away. "To answer your question Logan while that may be cannon in Elfen Lied it falls under what the author refers to as, 'First Rule.' The first rule of writing fiction is, 'never let a fact get in the way of telling a good story.' This story works best if the horns could be removed without any adverse effect so that is how it works."

"What horns?" Kouta asks. "Who has horns?"

"That's not really important is it?" Lucy answers smiling nervously.

"Anyway obviously author-kun knows what he's doing. This is the number one most popular story in the Elfen Lied / Rosario Vampire crossover section!" Kahlua says proudly.

"That's not saying much Kahlua," Lucy says. "There are only two stories in the entire section right now."

"So? We're still number one."

"Isn't there something bright and shiny you could be chasing right now?"

"Huh?"

"Never mind, Jokulhaup writes, 'Is your own "Ria" character going to play a role as well?' No, she will not. This will be the only story the author writes where she will not appear. One insane vampire is one too many."

"Besides," Kahlua adds. "I'm much more interesting."

"Opinions on that differ."

"Bleh!"

"Mistress Ayako writes 'So are we sure Lucy and Kahlua are friends now?'" Lucy shakes her head. "Me and the blonde idiot are not friends."

"That's right," Kahlua agrees. "She's just my maid."

"I am NOT your maid!"

"Really? But I got you a French maid outfit that's sooooooo cute!"

"You got Lucy a French maid outfit?" Kouta asks with interest.

Lucy suddenly blushes. "Ah, would you like to see me wear one Kouta?"

He smiles at her and nods. "I think you'd look really adorable in one."

"Ah, well, maybe…"

"Chapter after next people!" Kahlua says with a wink. "Hey Kouta, would you like to see her in a garter belt and leather bra too?"

"SHUT UP!!"

Smack!

"Owie! Geez! So mean! I'm only trying to help you know! It's not like Kouta will ever figure it out on his own." Takes next letter from Lucy. "Here, Barricade writes, 'Kouta proves once again that men are BLIND as all hell at that age about a girl that likes them.' This was written after the 'date' you two had. The one where he politely said good night."

"So? How does that make me blind?"

The two girls share a look.

"Are all men this oblivious?" Kahlua asks.

"Only the really cute ones," Lucy says. "Our next letter is from BrazeRancor. It says, 'I dearly hope Kouta has enough sense to realize he has no chance of killing anyone, especially Lucy...' What?!"  
She stares at him in shock. "Kouta! You want to kill me?!"

"No! Of course not! I have no idea where that comes from. The only person I want to kill is the girl who murdered my family."

"Uh…"

"Is something wrong Lucy? You look kind of sick."

"Last Letter!" Kahlua sings out. "Why don't you get rid of that mean Lucy girl and just focus on Kahlua? She's obviously the star and much more interesting! We want more Kahlua! We love Kahlua!"

"Give me that!" Lucy snatches letter out of Kahlua's hands and looks at it. "You wrote this!"

"What makes you say that?"

"It's written in crayon you idiot!"

"So?"


	19. So can I eat you?

When Kouta opened his eyes it took him a moment to realize he was in a strange room. It took him another moment to notice someone asleep in a chair by his bed. Lucy was stretch out and sleeping in the same outfit she'd had on when she arrived.

XXX

Yesterday

A doctor arrived at Kouta's room to find four people there waiting.

"The tests have all come back negative, it doesn't seem that he's suffered any permanent harm and he should be fine to leave in the morning."

They all nodded their heads in relief.

"Visiting hours are over now, so…"

"I'm staying," Lucy announced. "I want to be here when Kouta wakes up."

"I'm very sorry but…" The doctor abruptly halted at just a look from the red haired woman.

"I am staying."

XXX

From previous experience Kouta quickly pieced together that he was in a hospital bed and that he must have had one of his attacks. I must have really scared Yuka, he thought. I'll need to talk to her and tell her I'm fine. He remembered what she had said and the memories her words had brought up. His father and sister had been murdered. Murdered by a horned girl who could only be some kind of monster. He would need to try and figure out who it might have been and a way for him to take revenge.

I won't involve Lucy or Kahlua in this. I don't doubt Lucy would help me if I asked, but I have no right to drag her into something that has nothing to do with her. He knew she was a monster, but he couldn't think of her as anything other than the girl he liked. No one else had ever been as kind and sweet to him as she had been. At first he'd assumed that she was only doing it because she had to. Over time though he'd realized that wouldn't have explained her baking him cookies or putting up with him during their study sessions. Whenever he'd had a problem or a worry she'd been there to listen and to try and help. He honestly didn't think he could have gotten though the last few months without her.

She could be scary at times and her personality had some harsh edges to it, but she was also very caring and kind to him. Whether she was human or not didn't really matter to him. She was just a beautiful sweet girl.

A bit of hair was covering one of her eyes.

He reached out and ever so gently moved it aside. At his touch she stirred and opened her eyes.

He smiled at her. "Good morning."

"Kouta," she whispered. "Why are you crying?"

"Am I?" He asked. He wiped his cheeks and sure enough they were wet. "I don't know why, I must have had a bad dream. I'm all right now though." He carefully put her hair in place and then softly stroked her cheek. "You're here, and everything is all right."

"Kouta…"

XXX

He was soon checked out of the hospital and the two of them began to walk back to Kahlua's house. Kouta did not want to call his uncle for a ride and preferred to simply walk. It had been a long time since he'd been in Kamakura and was enjoying the sights and sounds of the place.

"I'm really hungry right now. Do you want to stop and get some breakfast with me before we go back? My treat, I remember this really great restaurant that serves a tasty miso soup. I want to see if they're still around."

"Sure," she said. Lucy was eying him carefully. Physically he seemed fine, but she was still concerned. "What happened Kouta? What was it Yuka said that made you collapse? I asked her but she and her uncle refused to say anything."

Lucy could guess what the subject had been. She had been fearful that Kouta might have recovered his memories. That hadn't happened, there was no way he could be so comfortable with her if he had. But what had that girl said to him? Had it triggered something?

"You know Kouta whatever it is you can talk to me about it."

He gave an embarrassed shrug. "Actually I don't have any idea what she said. Everything is just a blank spot. I know I had some nightmares last night, but I can't remember them now. It's probably just as well."

He was lying.

She knew it instantly. The problem was though that she didn't have the nerve to call him on it. What if she forced him to reveal what it was and in doing so she caused him to remember even more? That was more of a risk than she was willing to take.

"All right," she said neutrally. "If you don't remember then you don't remember. But, just so you know, if there's ever anything you want to talk about I am always here for you Kouta."

He smiled at her and it was like sunlight parting a grey sky. "I know that Lucy, there's no one I trust more than you."

They walked together in a content silence until he spotted the restaurant which was just opening for business.

"Oh they're still here! Come on you'll love the breakfast they serve." Without really thinking about it he took her by the hand and led her inside.

He didn't notice her slight blush or the small smile that lit her face.

XXX

"I can't believe that Kouta," Yuka grumbled as she pedaled her bike. "How could he not at least call?"

Her parents were both at work again this morning. She had called the hospital to find out if there was any news about her cousin. She had been told he had already checked out.

"I should have stayed with him," she muttered. She had offered to but the doctor had refused and her father had felt one girl staying at his side was plenty. Fortunately the blonde girl had agreed to give her father the address where Kouta was staying. When she'd learned Kouta had left eh hospital she'd immediately set out to see if he was okay and to apologize to him for causing his attack.

When she got to the address she saw it was a large two story house with a garage and large yard. She was impressed to see a limo parked in the driveway. Kouta really was coming up in the world if he was close friends with such a rich socialite. The thought of him living here with her and the red head still didn't sit well with her. She couldn't help but wonder as to their sleeping arrangements and what sort of activities went on here behind closed doors.

I need to stop thinking that! I'm sure it's totally innocent! She put up her bike and rang the doorbell. A squat, somewhat homely man dressed in a tuxedo answered. He had a collar around his neck with a gold buckle. "May I help you?"

"Ah, excuse me, but is Kouta here?"

"Mister Kouta and Miss Lucy have not returned as yet." The man stepped back and opened the door wide for her. "Do you wish to wait for him inside? The mistress left instructions for us to welcome anyone connected to Mister Kouta."

"Ah, well, okay as long as it's not a problem." Yuka stepped inside and was led to a parlor where she sat down on a small sofa. There was also a round coffee table in front of her.

In short order a lovely blonde came in with a tray holding cookies and steaming hot cup of tea. She set it down on the table. She was dressed in a French maid uniform and also had a collar around her neck. Yuka wondered if it was some kind of new western fashion. Yuka was feeling intimidated as this girl was yet another beauty living here with Kouta. He had mentioned a couple servants to her; she hadn't pictured someone with such grace and beauty serving him tea and cookies.

Does she service him in any other ways?

"Would you like anything else miss?"

"No thank you," Yuka said quickly and started to nibble on a cookie.

The girl nodded. "The mistress will likely be up soon."

Yuka was left alone in the parlor for about twenty minutes.

"Hello there!" The blonde girl from yester day came bouncing in. She had on a pink gown with gloves that covered her past eh elbows. Even though it was morning she already had on makeup and jewelry.

Yuka quickly got to her feet and bowed to her host. "I came here looking for Kouta and your servants let me in. I hope I am not intruding."

Kahlua flashed her a playful grin "Don't be a funny bunny, you're welcome here." Then, just as she had done the previous evening Kahlua came uncomfortably close and put her nose right to Yuka's neck. "You smell yummy, just like Kouta-kun. Can I have a taste?"

"Wha… what?!" Yuka took a couple quick steps back.

Kahlua eyed her and grinned as though they were playing a game. She put both hands behind her back and took a long step towards her target. "Something wrong?"

Yuka moved to put the parlor table between her and Kahlua. "What… what did you mean by that?"

"By what?"

"You said you wanted to have a taste?"

Kahlua nodded.

"What did you mean?"

Kahlua tilted her head a bit looking slightly confused. "I mean I want to eat you."

"Ea… ea… eat me?" Yuka gasped, suddenly feeling her virtue to be in serious jeopardy.

"That's right," she said with a vigorous nod. "So can I?" She took a slow step around the table.

Yuka took a step in the opposite direction keeping eh table completely between them. "Ah, well I'm really flattered, and I'll even confess to being just a tiny bit curious. But while this sort of thing may be fashionable and okay in your circles I'm just a small town girl."

Kahlua stopped and again looked confused. "What do you mean?"

"I only like boys."

"Huh?"

"I mean I don't want to have a girl do that sort of thing with me." Her face had gone completely red with embarrassment. "To be honest I'm not sure I'd be comfortable with a boy doing it either."

She needed a moment. "So you don't want me to eat you?" She asked with a frown.

"No, I don't, uh sorry but I'm just not interested."

"Would it help if I promised to be reeeeeeally gentle?" She took another step around the table.

Yuka took a step the other direction. "No! I'm just not interested."

"It's not so bad once you get used to it," Kahlua promised. "Kouta made a big deal the first time I ate him but now he's okay with it."

Yuka froze and stopped breathing. "Wait a minute! Are you saying you do… that with Kouta?"

"Eat him? Sure! Every single day! Why do you think I brought him here to spend the summer with me? I didn't want to have to go a single day without the taste of him in my mouth."

"The taste of him in your mouth," she echoed dully.

"Though he does still make a lot of noise every time I do it, I think he actually kind of likes it."

"He makes noise?" She asked weakly.

Kahlua nodded. "He yells out a lot, sometimes he gets sort of loud if I'm a little too rough."

"I'll just bet he does."

"Hey Yuka! Garak said you were here waiting for me." Kouta and Lucy entered the parlor. "Sorry about not calling, I was planning to do it later."

Yuka ran up to him and without any warning slapped him across the face as hard as she could. "You're disgusting!" She yelled at the top of her lungs.

"Hey! What are you doing?" Lucy shoved the girl back and got between them.

A startled Kouta stared at her. "I'm sorry Yuka! I swear I was going to call you this afternoon!"

"Oh don't play innocent with me! Kahlua has told me what's been going on here and what she does with you!"

Both Kouta and Lucy turned startled eyes to Kahlua.

"What?" Kouta gasped.

"Kahlua did you tell her about that thing you do with Kouta?" Lucy demanded.

"Was I not supposed to?"

"Yes she told me!" Yuka said furiously turning on Kouta. "She practically bragged to me about 'eating' you every single day and how it makes you moan!"

"She told you that?" Kouta said weakly.

"So it's true!"

"Yuka you need to understand, no matter how strange it seems it's something she needs and it doesn't do me any real harm."

"Oh, so you're just doing it for her? How noble of you!"

Lucy focused her anger on Kahlua. "You idiot! How could you tell her you were a vampire?!"

"Vampire?" Yuka questioned. "Is that what they're calling lesbians these days?"

"What?" Kouta choked.

"You think she's a lesbian?" Lucy asked.

"What's a lesbian?" Kahlua asked curiously.

"Oh, that's right; she's actually bisexual since she likes to eat both boys and girls it seems. What sort of things go on at that school of yours?! Do you have wild orgies in the class room too?"

A light dawned on both Kouta and Lucy. Kahlua remained firmly in the dark.

"Yuka you're misunderstanding! When Kahlua says she wants to eat someone she means…"

"She means oral sex!" Lucy said quickly.

Seeing the look on Kouta's face she whispered to him urgently. "Let your cousin believe that!"

"But she thinks Kahlua and I are having sex!" He whispered back.

"I know, but would you rather tell her the truth? That she's a vampire from a monster school and she drinks your blood every day?"

Kouta could see the point and was trapped. He couldn't tell Yuka the truth after all.

Kahlua began laughing.

"What's so funny?" Yuka asked.

"I'm not having sex with Kouta!" She told her. "I'm having sex with Antoinette and Garak!"

"Wait! So you really are bisexual?" Kouta asked in surprise.

"Is something wrong with that?"

Lucy shuddered slightly. "Antoinette I can understand, but Garak too?"

"I know he's not really handsome and he tastes yucky, but he's like a horse down there!"

"That's it!" Yuka grabbed her cousin by the arm. "You're coming with me!"

"Hey where do you think you're taking him?" Lucy demanded.

"To the Maple Inn! My family owns it and we'll set a room aside for him. He can stay there for the summer."

"But I still haven't gotten to eat anyone yet!" Kahlua whined. "Kouta let me at least get a quick bite!"

"Whore!" Yuka shouted and marched Kouta out the door. "I'll send for his things."

With them gone Kahlua and Lucy were left alone in the parlor.

"I'm hungry," Kahlua complained. She turned to Lucy. "I don't suppose…"

"I don't do chicks," Lucy told her.

"I bet you'd let Kouta eat you," she whined.

"That goes without saying."


	20. Helping out

Yuka headed toward the Maple Inn determined to look on the bright side of things. True she'd been shocked to find out the kind of 'relationship' her cousin had with that blonde socialite, but had soon rationalized it. Obviously the environment he'd been placed in was to blame. She could just imagine the school he went to as an exclusive enclave of rich elitist children with no sense of morality or common decency. If that Kahlua girl was typical then she really wouldn't be surprised if they did have orgies there in the classrooms. Honestly! How shameless! Bragging about doing that to him every day and wanting to do it to her and having sex with herservants! She tried to convince Kouta to drop out but he'd been adamant that it was impossible. She'd tried talking to her dad but he'd pointed out there was no way to ignore the cost of not only going to school but three years of free room and board.

Despite her shock at learning what sort of things her cousin had been up to she'd forgiven him. She was still in love with him after all and having met Kahlua couldn't blame him too much for being seduced by her. It had still been good to actually get to spend a bit of time with him. He'd had dinner with her family and it had been like old times. He was still the sweet kind hearted boy he'd been so many years ago. She was sure if she could keep him away from corruptive influences everything would be fine.

As she was headed to the Inn she passed a couple younger kids who were obviously here for vacation. One was a 13 year old boy with dark hair and brown eyes. He was being dragged along against his will by a slightly older girl with a similar appearance. She was dressed like a tomboy and had a bunch of rope over one shoulder as she was dragging the boy along by his hand.

"Come on Tsuki! You're bungee jumping today! I'm sure you'll love it."

"But that's dangerous Kyouko!" The boy whined. "And aren't you supposed to use special rope for that?"

"Rope is rope," the girl insisted. "Anyway it's perfectly safe. The drop is only a hundred feet and I got you two hundred feet of rope just in case!"

"I don't think that's how it works!"

"Hey, have I ever been wrong?"

"Yes! Lots of times!"

"Oh stop being a baby. I'm just going to tie a rope around you and throw you off a cliff. What could go wrong?"

"I'm gonna die!" The boy burst into tears.

XXX

When Yuka arrived at the Maple Inn she went directly to Kouta's room. As she was approaching it she heard what sounded like her cousin in pain.

"Ow. That hurts you know."

"Kouta are you okay?" Yuka opened his door without knocking.

She found Kahlua there with him, her arms wrapped around his shoulders. He quickly jumped away from her but it was still clear something had been going on.

She was just relieved to see his zipper was still closed.

"What's going on here?" She demanded glaring at Kahlua as the girl wiped her mouth.

"Just getting a snack," Kahlua said brightly.

"What?" Yuka demanded angrily. "Kouta why is she here?"

"She, uh, just came by to hang out a little with me." He reassured. "We are friends after all."

"You don't need slutty friends like her." She turned to the other girl. "You should go home now."

"Okey dokey, I'll be staying in room 6." Kahlua sang happily.

"What are you talking about?"

"Ah, Yuka I'm glad you're here. Shinobu quit and I'm going to need your help until we get a replacement for her." Her father came up to her.

"Dad you know I don't want to spend my summer working here! Anyway, why is she here? You didn't rent her a room did you? I told you the sort of things she was doing to Kouta."

"Ah, about that," her father began looking embarrassed.

"Father, you didn't did you?"

"Well you see dear she came here wanting to rent a room here for the next two months so she could be near Kouta. I of course said no."

"Good," Yuka said relived.

"Then I offered to pay for every available room for the summer," Kahlua added brightly.

"I was sorely tempted, but still said no."

"I'm glad."

"Then I offered to pay double the rates," Kahlua said.

Yuka looked at her father. "What did you say then father?"

Before he could answer Kahlua spoke in a good imitation of his 'business' voice. "We don't accept checks, will that be cash or credit miss?"

"Father!"

"She was offering to pay double the rates on all our open rooms! How could I say no? Any way I need you to help with cleaning up a couple of the rooms that checked out today."

"Dad I am not going to spend my summer cleaning rooms and doing laundry all day."

"It's not for the summer, it's just until we can get some extra help."

Kahlua had a sudden grin. "Excuse me, I have to do something." She left in a hurry with a marvelous idea in her little brain.

XXX

"How did you talk me into this?" Lucy asked in a mortified voice.

"I thought you wanted to do something to make Kouta's relatives think better about you."

"I do," she said pointedly. "Since they probably think I'm a whore too thanks to you."

"Well what could be better than helping them out when they're shorthanded?"

"But why am I dressedlike this?"

"What? You're dressed like a maid."

Together Kahlua and Lucy entered the Maple Inn. Kouta, Yuka, and Yuka's father were all there by the front desk.

"Great news everybody!" Kahlua called out in her melodic voice. "I found you someone to help with the cleaning! And she even has her own uniform!" Kahlua was in a burnt orange gown and gloves, but for once was not the center of attention.

Standing next to her was Lucy in a French maid outfit. It revealed her shoulders and a good bit of her cleavage. The skirt showed off most of her legs and she was wearing black stocking and high heels. In her hand she even had a feather duster.

All three of the people looking at her had their jaws open.

"Wow," Kouta said. He couldn't think of anything else. Lucy always looked good, but dressed like this she looked… sinful.

Seeing the way he was staring at her and hearing him say that Lucy blushed.

"Do you like it Kouta?"

He nodded his head eagerly. "You look great Lucy!"

Yuka looked horrified and turned to her father who appeared momentarily stunned. "Father say something!"

"Can you start immediately?"

"Dad!"

"Yes, of course," Lucy said. "And I want you to know that I intend to work very hard and show you I'm someone you can trust around your nephew."

"I am very glad to hear that," Kouta's uncle said.

"Say, how come you wouldn't be my maid but you don't mind working for him?" Kahlua suddenly asked with a pout.

"It's simple, there's no way I would ever let you actually give me orders or think you have any kind of authority over me."

"But you'll take orders from Kouta's uncle?"

"Naturally, I'm only too happy to help Kouta's family when they need it."

"That's really nice of you Lucy, I'll help out too, so you can still have some free time to enjoy the summer." Kouta offered.

Yuka couldn't help but note the way he was staring at the red head or the way she was blushing and obviously enjoying it.

"I'll help too," Yuka offered.

"I thought you didn't want to spend your summer working here," her father reminded her.

"I've changed my mind. If Kouta's going to be working here then so am I."

"Hey Kouta," Kahlua sang. "You know what the best part of this uniform is?"

"No, what?"

Without warning she grabbed Lucy's skirt and jerked it up revealing Lucy was wearing a garter belt as well as…

"Black lace panties," Kahlua explained.

Blood shot from Kouta's nose and he collapsed.

"HEY!" Lucy screamed. "What the hell are you doing?!" She slapped Kahlua's hand freeing her skirt.

"What?" She asked innocently. "I was just showing Kouta your assets."


	21. Onsen

Kamakura was a resort town on Japan's Pacific coast. It had a small, rather mediocre, University and there was also a research facility on a nearby island that employed some of the locals. For most of the year it was a sleepy little place. During the summer though it expanded and bustled as individuals and families from all over Japan flocked here to enjoy its beaches and cooling ocean breezes. The Maple Inn was just one of a great many hotels that existed to cash in on these visitors. It had only 9 rooms and so was not particularly large, but for the small number of people who staffed it there was always plenty of cleaning and laundry that needed to be done.

Kahlua had booked up all the remaining available rooms, but there had already been plenty of reservations for the rest of the summer in place. Most of the rooms would stay empty, but there would be a few guests coming and going for the rest of the season.

Lucy was out in the main hall way standing on a chair dusting the wooden ledges. She was dressed up in the same ridiculous outfit she had showed up in and was even using the feather duster Kahlua had given her. Kouta was also helping out and was in the laundry room cleaning sheets and linens.

She found the current situation frustrating for a number of reasons.

She had no objection to the work itself. She was being paid for it by Kouta's relatives and liked the fact she was helping them. For her work was work and there was nothing demeaning or negative about it. She actually preferred being able to keep busy if she wasn't going to be with Kouta.

That was her first and largest issue with the current situation; she wasn't with Kouta. Though making his family think well of her and saving a bit of money were both good the real reason she'd agreed to this was so she could stay near him. Yet she'd gotten to see surprisingly little of him as they always seemed to be doing different tasks. She normally only got to spend time with him when they were both done with their tasks. While he was working around the Inn he was usually in the company of his cousin.

That was another problem. Yuka was constantly underfoot and doing everything she could to monopolize Kouta's time. Lucy was learning to really not like that girl. She was not as ditzy or annoying as Kahlua, but the fact she was intelligent and capable of self restraint only made her more of a threat. She'd seen the way Yuka looked at her cousin, the way she walked close to him, and how her eyes always followed him when he was in the room. Though nowhere near as experience and knowledgeable in romance as she wished Lucy (unlike Kouta) could see the obvious.

She never ever forgot what she was. She always went out of her way to try and make Kouta see her as nothing but an ordinary girl because it had been burned into her psyche that she was anything but. She felt herself at a very distinct disadvantage when competing with a girl who really was just a regular human. In Japan there was no stigma against marrying a cousin, and she could see how in many ways Yuka might be a better choice for him.

Though the whiney brunette would never love him the way she did.

Done with another little section she stepped down and moved the chair a few feet down the hall so she could dust some more. Using her vectors she wouldn't have needed to use a chair at all. They had a much longer reach and were much faster than her flesh and blood arms. She didn't dare use them though, not where they could be seen. It was early afternoon and people were coming and going. She had to do everything the old fashioned way, she wasn't allowed to take advantage of being a diclonius. This was another problem but not one that annoyed her too much.

As she was standing on the chair stretched out to dust Mr. Fukayama came strolling down the hall for the seventhtime since she'd begun cleaning it. He was a middle aged business man from Nagamo who was here alone for a short holiday. He was single and had greedy eyes that liked to go up and down her body without any sort of pretense that he was doing anything but ogling a young girl. Despite making it clear she was only 15 he had invited her out to have dinner with him several times already. He had even tried to subtly proposition her by asking if she could come to his room and provide any 'special services' for him.

So far as she was concerned he was evidence that certain people deserved to be torn limb from limb.

"Still working hard I see," he spoke in a smooth and oily tone. He bent his neck as he walked ever so slowly down the hall. It gave him the best angle to look up her skirt. "You know I could use a hard worker like you. How would you like to move to Nagamo and work for me as a secretary?"

I think I would sooner choke to death on my own vomit. "That is very kind of you Fukayama-san," she said struggling to sound polite. "However I am still in High School."

He gave her a conceited grin. "I'll keep open a position for you. Come see me when you graduate and you'll have a job waiting. Though naturally I'll expect you to be properly grateful." He stretched out a hand to stroke her leg.

"Waaah!" Without warning he suddenly fell on his face with a loud thud.

"Oh dear, are you all right Fukayama-san?" She tried to sound concerned as she withdrew her vector. She made no move to step down and help him up. "You really should keep your eyes on where you're going. Looking in other places made you trip you over your own feet."

His face red with embarrassment he got back. "I didn't trip over my own feet! Something grabbed me and pulled me down!" He was looking all around for what it might have been.

"Really sir? It's a bare wood floor there's nothing there. Perhaps you slid."

Frowning he gave a slight nod, he was clearly convinced he's been tripped but there was nothing to pin the blame on. "I suppose that was it."

"Or perhaps it was karma punishing you for trying to put your hand on a 15 year old girl in a public place," she said sweetly with a cruel smirk that made him take a sudden step back away from her. "Perhaps you should actually go outside and enjoy Kamakura instead of trolling up and down this hallway."

"Ye… yes, maybe I will." He left quickly suddenly not so interested in her.

XXX

Kouta came to the front desk after finally getting done with the hotel's laundry. His uncle looked up at him at his approach.

"Where's Yuka? I thought she was helping you."

"She got a call from one of her friends and took off."

His uncle shook his head. "That girl," he muttered. "Anyway Kouta you've done enough for the day. Relax and enjoy yourself."

Kouta nodded and stretched. "Say uncle, are all the guests out right now?"

"All of them except for Kahlua."

"In that case I thought I might try and use the onsen while it's empty."

The Maple Inn boasted a genuine indoor hot spring bath. It was mixed, which meant both men and women were free to use it. Kouta and his family had used the onsen here all the time back when they'd come here on vacation. There was nothing as relaxing or pleasant as just soaking your whole body in some nice hot water.

Kouta had a modest nature and so hadn't used it yet. It was most often used in the evening though, and with all the guests out it was going to be empty for the next few hours. He didn't worry about Kahlua disturbing him. She'd already eaten and the bath was literally the last place she would go given her vampiric nature. He could go and relax in safety for awhile.

XXX

Lucy finished her tasks and returned to Kahlua's room. She was still sleeping at the vacation home but used her hotel room to change in and out of her clothes. Kahlua was there and Lucy decided to unburden herself as she unzipped and took off the tight fitting maid outfit.

"I really hate wearing his thing you know, it makes me feel like I'm on display."

"But you look so cute," Kahlua sang out. She eyed the girl knowingly. "Kouta likes it."

Lucy couldn't keep her face from darkening slightly. As much as she loathed Fukayama-san panting after her the memory of the way Kouta had stared at her so, hungrily had convinced her to keep wearing it.

"Does he? I hadn't noticed."

"Liar liar pants on fire!" Kahlua cried and pointed at her.

"Oh shut up, you're worse than a five year old." Lucy pulled off her black panties and snapped off her bra.

Kahlua eyed her up and down appreciatively. Lucy might have been 15 but she already had a woman's body with nice full breasts, curving hips, and slim thighs.

"You've got a nice body, even nicer than Antoinette's. I don't suppose…"

"I already told you that I don't do chicks," Lucy said. Her clothes off she stretched and rubbed her shoulders a bit to loosen them. "I really wish I could just work like this instead of wearing that outfit, I'd be a lot more comfortable."

"You'd rather be nude than dressed up?" For once Kahlua sounded surprised.

"Before I came to Youkai I used to be naked all the time," she told her. "It doesn't bother me at all, it just feels natural. Whereas that thing," she nodded to the clothes on the floor. "Makes me feel like I'm trying to draw attention."

"You're weird," Kahlua declared.

Lucy stared at her for a second. Then she mimed picking up a phone and holding it to her ear. "Hello kettle? This is pot. You're black."

"Huh?" Kahlua looked at her blankly.

"Never mind." Lucy went into Kahlua's private bath and came out dressed in a robe.

"Whatcha doin'?"

"The onsen is going to be empty right now, I figure I'll go and loosen up my shoulders." She sent the blonde a nasty smile. "Want to join me? I'll hold you under the water and see if I can drown you."

"Uh, uh!" Kahlua shuddered at the thought of so much pure water. She wouldn't go near the hot springs.

"Suit yourself," Lucy replied happily. She headed for the onsen sure Kahlua wouldn't bother her.

XXX

Kouta was lying naked in the hot water his eyes closed and relaxing. His body was just starting to get nice and warm when he heard the door to the onsen open and close.

His eyes popped open and he saw Lucy enter dressed in one of the white cloth robes the Inn provided to its guests. He was so startled he just sat there a moment unsure of what to say. So he just watched as Lucy nonchalantly slipped off the robe and was suddenly naked in front of him.

"Whoa!"

Hearing him Lucy's head snapped around and she saw him just sitting there in the large tub looking back at her.

Their eyes met in mutual surprise and consternation. Kouta was sure she would scream, grab the robe, and run out.

She did no such thing though. Instead she calmly nodded. "Hello Kouta I didn't know you were in here. Do you mind if I join you?"

He couldn't help it. His eyes dropped to stare first at her breasts and then at a triangular patch of bright red hair below her navel. Under the water where she couldn't see a certain part of his anatomy had a sudden reaction that expressed approval at the idea.

"No," he said faintly. "I wouldn't mind."


	22. A mixed bath is not a soapland

Kouta couldn't help but watch as Lucy climbed the wooden steps along the side of the tub. She dipped one foot in carefully testing the warm water. Satisfied she slid in one long leg and then the other. Her soft pale body slipped into the steamy water. He watched as she half swam, half waded over to him, her long red hair trailing behind her face in the water. She got right beside and sat down leaning against the edge of he wooden tub.

"Aaaaaaaah, that feels so good," she exhaled.

Hearing her moan like that felt almost erotic and Kouta felt his member twitch at that lovely sound. he was glad that the bubbling water kept everything below the surface unclear.

Even though he knew it was rude he just couldn't keep from staring at her. She was so incredibly beautiful! This wasn't news of course, he'd known she was gorgeous from the very first moment he'd seen her. Seeing her naked though! And the way she was okay with it! His brain was in serious danger of overloading. The fact that she was sitting in the onsen right next to him hot, naked, and wet was almost more than he could stand.

Lucy didn't miss the fact he was staring at her breasts. She pretty much would have had to have been blind not to notice where his eyes were. Putting her arms over her head and arching her back she stretched; deliberately giving him the clearest possible view of her soft pink mounds. "Oh, this just feels so good. My shoulders are really sore." She glanced at him and saw his mouth was hanging slightly open. The redhead was feeling very pleased with herself. Her decision to come help with the cleaning at the Inn suddenly looked like pure genius.

When she stopped stretching she sank back into the water. Her nipples vanished from view but he still got to see the rest of them.

Kouta suddenly seemed to realize what he was doing and his face jerked up and he deliberately stared in the opposite direction to avoid looking at her.

"Sorry," he mumbled.

"What is there to be sorry about?" She asked him. "This is a mixed bath isn't it? Isn't it normal to see and be seen naked here?"

"Well… yeah that's true," he admitted while keeping his back to her and his eyes locked on a spot on the far wall. "I shouldn't look at you in that way though."

"And what way is that?" She asked teasingly. Normally she would be a bit more reserved, but Kouta wasn't the only one feeling excited at the presence of a naked body within easy reach.

"You know," he sounded ready to die of embarrassment.

Though sorely tempted she decided not to embarrass him by teasing him any further. "It's all right Kouta, it doesn't bother me that you like looking at my body. It actually makes me happy that you find me desirable."

"Yes but I don't wan to look at you with dirty eyes!" He said. "You're special to me and I don't want to look that way at you."

Lucy blinked, not really understanding that. Though she thought it was a compliment. "So you'd be okay staring that way at a girl who was a stranger?"

"Well… yeah," he said. "It doesn't matter if I stare at a girl I don't know."

"But it's not okay to stare at me?"

"No, you I care about."

She didn't understand that. Why wouldn't a girl want to be attractive? However she found herself smiling even if it didn't make sense. It made her happy because Kouta obviously valued her.

"It's okay Kouta," she told him gently. "The way you look at me could never be dirty. If it helps any I like looking at you too. I think your body is very nice."

She saw his shouldered suddenly shake. If she could have looked at his face she'd have seen a deep blush there as well as a nervous grin.

"Re… really?"

"Does the fact I like looking at you offend?" She actually meant the question. She didn't know why his looking was supposed to be bad so she didn't know if her looking at him appreciatively was equally bad.

She likes looking at me? He thought excitedly. Was it… was it possible she liked him in that way? He'd always assumed that she only saw him as a friend. The idea she might see him as more was exciting.

"No," he said with a quiver in his voice. "I'm glad if you like looking at me."

Lucy smiled, and wished she understood more of how men and women were supposed to be with one another. What she really wanted was for him to be paying attention to her again instead of sitting there with his back to her.

"Say Kouta? Would you mind giving me a shoulder rub?"

That got him to turn around and look at her!

"A shoulder rub?" He tried to sound hesitant but she could see in his face he liked the idea.

Taking her wet hair she draped it across her chest and turned her bare back to him. "Yes, would you please? I'm very sore and I would really appreciate it."

"Ah, okay, if that's what you want," he said in a nervous voice. His fingers were trembling as he placed them on her shoulders. Her skin was soft and warm. His thumbs pressed down near her spine as his fingers dug into the space between her neck and shoulders.

"Aaaaah," she moaned and her body quivered at the feel of his hands touching her.

"Am I hurting you?" Kouta pulled his hands away.

"No Kouta, it feels really good. Please don't stop."

"Are you sure?"

Reaching out she took his hands and put them back on her shoulders. "I'm very sure. Please don't stop."

"All right," he said uneasily and slowly began to knead her muscles with his fingers. "Tell me if I'm too rough though."

"Right," she said as she closed her eyes and relaxed.

This wasn't the first time he'd touched her of course. They'd held hands and hugged a few times. This was different though. His touching her body now felt amazing. Being naked together in the warm steamy water his touch felt intimate, like a lover's tender caress. Without intending to she moaned again, causing his hands to shake a little.

Does he like hearing me moan like that? She wondered. She longed to have his strong hands touching her all over her body. She longed to touch him as well. She wanted the feel of his lips and his strong muscles. She wanted to give herself to him, to give him everything.

A part of her mind wondered what was making her feel like this. Why she was feeling this need mounting and growing within her. Was it the heat of the water she was immersed in? The way he was touching her? Knowing they were both naked and so unendurably close? A combination of all three?

Most of her mind was blank though, too consumed by the simple pleasure of having the one she loved touching her like this. The more he touched her the more relaxed and supple she felt, the more her usual guard dropped. The situation was unique and she was ready to take some unusual risks.

As he rubbed her shoulders she slowly leaned back towards him. He didn't try and move out of the way. She took that as a sign of encouragement and continued until her back pressed up against his chest.

"Mmmmmmmm," she whimpered and leaned her head back onto his shoulder. The contact between his skin and hers felt deliciously sensual. It was a private sign of their mutual trust that they could touch like this.

When she pressed her back against him and put her head on his shoulder Kouta was able to look straight down at her breasts. They were above the water. He could see her nipples looking hard and pointed. In school he'd heard that was a sign that a girl was turned on. The noises Lucy was making, as close as she was letting him get, the trust she was showing him, did she… want him?

He could feel his heart pounding like crazy. All kinds of possibilities ran through his head. As an experiment he stopped rubbing her shoulders and instead let his hands run up and down her arms, his fingers digging ever sp slightly into her skin. He felt a shudder run through her in response.

"That feels nice Kouta," she murmured into his shoulder.

What he wanted was to touch her lovely mounds. He wanted to hold them and squeeze them and see what they felt like. He had never touched a girl's breasts before and seeing Lucy's like this was driving him crazy.

Swallowing he spoke in a tense and hesitant voice. "Lucy… could, could I touch your…"

The door to the onsen slammed open.

"Kouta are you in here?" Yuka called out. She was wearing a white robe that was open and a yellow bikini underneath. "I was bored hanging with my friends and came back early. Do you want to…" She came to stuttered stop as soon as she saw Kouta wasn't alone in the tub. "What the hell are you two doing?!"

Kouta let go of her and scooted away so fast Lucy damn near fell into the water.

"Nothing!" Kouta said sounding guilty as hell. "We were just enjoying the bath together. It's a mixed bath right?"

"That's right," Yuka said coldly. "It's a mixed bath, not a soapland. (Soapland - a Japanese 'special service' place where prostitutes specialize in performing in a bath.) Were you doing dirty things with her?"

"No!" Kouta shouted.

"Not yet," Lucy muttered under her breath. What was Kouta about to ask her? Where had he wanted to touch? Wherever it might have been she would have said yes. Now the mood was ruined.

"Kouta?" Lucy called out.

"Uh, yes Lucy?"

"Would you be upset if your cousin suffered a horrible accident right now?"

She did not sound like she was joking.


	23. Four words

Lucy was storming down the hallway with her back arched and spitting mad. Had she run into any cute little animals they likely would have been punted into orbit. It had been such an amazing moment! Kouta had been touching her with such open affection. It had been simply beautiful! And then just as he was about to ask to do something more that annoying girl had shown up and COMPLETELY ruined things!

She'd slipped in between them with her yellow bikini and killed the mood. Kouta had quickly excused himself, obviously not comfortable with the situation Yuka had created. She'd even kept her from seeing Kouta naked by forcing her to turn her head as he quickly exited the tub and got into his robe. Kouta fled and so instead of being in the tub alone with Kouta she was alone with Yuka.

"I really should have drowned her when I had the chance," Lucy muttered to herself.

XXX

"Does he know about your feelings?" Yuka asked once they were alone in the onsen.

"What are you talking about?" Lucy questioned suspiciously.

"You're in love with him," Yuka said flatly. "Anyone who sees the way you look at him can tell. It's pretty obvious."

"Yes I am," Lucy admitted. If Yuka could see it there didn't seem a point to denying it. "You're in love with him too aren't you?"

"Yes," she said proudly. "I've had feelings for him since we were eight."

"Dopes he know?"

"No, I haven't confessed yet."

The two girls eyed one another.

"You know I thought Kahlua was the problem but now I think you're the bigger threat," Yuka said gravely. "Sooner or later he'll realize she's a slut. You on the other hand are real trouble."

Yuka had no idea just how seriously tempted Lucy was to drown her. She stopped herself only because she knew Kouta would hate her if she did. "I could never be trouble to Kouta," Lucy said in a harsh unforgiving voice. "I would die for him." Or kill for him.

"I don't know what your story is, but it's obvious you come from a different world than Kouta does. He and I are a natural fit, I can make him happy."

"I love him more than you do," Lucy said with total conviction.

"How could you?" Yuka snapped. "You've lonely known him a few months! Your love for him can't compare to mine."

That wasn't true. In the years since she'd first met him she had thought about him every single day. The memory of her time with him was the only thing that had given her the strength to endure her hellish imprisonment. It was impossible for Yuka's feelings to be anything more than a pale reflection of her own.

But there was no way she could explain that.

She was trapped by the lies she was forced to tell Kouta.

"If you really care about him you should let him go," Yuka told her.

"So he can end up with you?" Lucy asked coldly.

Yuka nodded. "We come from the same place, I can make him happy."

"And you think I can't?" Lucy clenched her fists in anger and frustration. She really wanted to hurt this girl.

"It's obvious that you can't, you're just too different from him."

"You don't know a damn thing!" Lucy shouted in her face and got out of the tub. If she stayed there any longer she really would hurt Kouta's cousin.

XXX

She slammed open the door to Kahlua's room, stepped inside and slammed it shut again.

The blonde vampire looked up at her. "You not enjoy the onsen?"

Lucy stood there by the door way looking Kahlua over.

"What? Do I have something in my teeth?"

"You know how to deal with boys right?" Lucy asked her. "I mean with boys who aren't your property or food source."

Kahlua grinned and rolled her eye. "Oh sure! Boys are eaaaaaaaasy to deal with."

Lucy took a deep breath and steadied herself. "I know I'm going to regret this, but I'm going to say four words to you I never imagined I would."

Hearing that Kahlua looked excited. "Ooh! Ooh! I know! 'Please drink my blood?'"

"No. I need…"

"'I want lesbian loving?'"

"No!" Lucy snapped. "I need…"

"'Kahlua I love you?'"

"NO YOU BLONDE IDIOT!" Lucy screeched. "I need your help! I need your help! That's what I wanted to say. Humiliating as it is I need to ask for your help."

"Okey dokey," Kahlua answered pleasantly. "What do you need my expertise for?"

Though it was humbling Lucy told her. "I want you to teach me how to deal with boys."

Kahlua's grin covered her face and she clapped her hands. "Oooooooooh, this is going to be fun!"


	24. The sounds of love

"You say you want to learn how to deal with boys," Kahlua said with a knowing grin. "But what you mean is you wan to learn how to deal with Kouta-kun, riiiiiight?"

"Yes," she admitted with a sigh.

"Okey dokey," she got up and glided over towards Lucy. "I can help with that." She put her face to Lucy's neck and nuzzled close. "Mmmmm you smell yummy."

"What do you think you're doing?" Lucy snapped and pushed her back.

Kahlua grinned, not looking put off by the shove. "I'm collecting my payment up front."

"What are you talking about?"

"You want my expert advice right?" She smiled and tilted her head questioningly. "We're not friends so why should I help you?"

"You're already helping me," Lucy pointed out. "You let me stay at your house and you bought me clothes including that ridiculous maid outfit."

"I let you stay because that's what Kouta wanted, and shopping is ALWAYS fun." She took a playful step forwards. "I'm guessing though you don't want me to tell Kouta about this. We're not friends, we put up with each other only for Kouta's sake. So if I'm going to help you what's in it for Kahlua?" She leaned in close once more. "Hmmmm?"

"I'm not giving you my blood."

"Okey dokey, in that case we can have some hot sweaty sex, it's your call."

Lucy's mouth dropped open. "You're kidding right?"

"Nope. So which is it?"

Gritting her teeth she turned her face away offering her neck. "Here."

CHOMP.

"Ow! Ow! That really does hurt! Now I finally understand what Kouta is always complaining about."

After what seemed like no time at all to Kahlua and an eternity and a half to Lucy the blonde vampire released her and stepped back smacking her lips.

"Oh that was good! You should be proud, your blood is super duper yummy just like Kouta's!"

"I'm so glad you think so," Lucy was rubbing her neck.

"So first off I need to know something. Are you a virgin? You act like one but I need to be sure."

"What does that have to do with anything?"

"I need to know if you've ever had sex before so I can know whether or not you understand what it involves. So are you or aren't you?"

"Technically no, in practice yes."

"Huh?" Kahlua had a confused look on her face. "What does that mean?"

"It means I lost my virginity to a medical probe while I was strapped down to a surgical table."

Kahlua stared at her with the same blank expression.

"I've never had sex with another person," Lucy clarified for her.

"Okey dokey. I'm pretty sure Kouta is a virgin too." Kahlua frowned. "That makes it tough since both of you are so inexperienced. It would be easier if at least one of you wasn't." A sudden grin blossomed upon her face. "I could fix that for you if you want. I can take Kouta's vir… gack!" Kahlua abruptly cut off as an invisible hand began to choke her.

"Don't… even… joke about that!" Lucy said menacingly.

Kahlua felt the vector release its grip and she could breathe again. "Geez, so mean! Why are you always so mean?"

Kahlua was just complaining, Lucy decide to take the question seriously and answer it.

"You want to know why I'm mean? My parents abandoned me because I wasn't born human. I was raised in a place where every single person treated me like I was a freak. The first person who I thought was a friend betrayed me and I was forced to watch as my pet was beaten to death. Then when I finally met someone who truly was kind to me I went insane and did something unforgivable. I met a second kind person and she wound up getting killed because of me. I then spent years in a research facility where they treated my like a test subject. I was kept isolated and alone except for when they tortured me. My life was an unending cycle of abuse and loneliness. And now when I'm finally free again and I have someone who I love more than life itself I still can't be with him because I'm terrified that if I say the wrong word he'll hate me and I'll lose my chance to be with him forever."

She glared at Kahlua and the vampire actually took a nervous step back.

"That's been my life up until now. So if I'm mean it's because I've damn well earned the right to be!"

"Uh… okay." Kahlua stared back at her. "You're really pretty fucked up huh?"

"Just tell me how to deal with Kouta!"

"Oh that's easy!" Kahlua told her. "He's a teenage boy, that means he has only one thing on his mind. You just need to remember that boys only want one thing! Sex! That's the only thing that matters to them. Sex, sex, sex it's all they hunger for! They want it constantly! They'll do or say anything to get it. They're like wild beasts after a hunk of raw meat! Having sex is the only thing on their teeny tiny little brains."

"Really?" Lucy sounded dubious. It couldn't be that simple.

Kahlua nodded. "They're like me about blood."

"That bad?"

"Yes, all it takes is a hint they might get some and their ready to go!"

"And that's the only thing they care about?"

Kahlua tapped her lips and thought for a moment. "Well they also get upset if you try and take the remote control from them and some times they want you to make them a sandwich, but mainly it's just about having as much sex as they can."

"Well maybe most men are like that but not Kouta." Lucy said sounding very sure.

"Uh, uh," Kahlua shook her head. "Kouta-kun too. He's hungry for it, he just doesn't know how to get it yet."

"You're wrong," Lucy said firmly. "Kouta is a complete and total gentleman."

Though it was rather humiliating she related all the events with Kouta and Yuka in the onsen.

Hearing about her little misadventure left Kahlua giggling. "See? He wants to have sex with you!"

"And how exactly do you come to that conclusion?" Lucy asked in a frosty voice. "He didn't make a single move on me. If he had I'd have been completely willing."

"I'll bet! You probably would have raped the poor boy!" Kahlua laughed.

"Shut up! The point is he didn't try anything. He wouldn't even look at me or touch me until I asked him to."

"He didn't want to look at you?"

"No," Lucy sighed.

"That's great! That means he's totally into you!"

Lucy blinked, not understanding her bizarre logic.

"You've got an awesome body," Kahlua explained. "Most guys in that situation would have been staring at you and trying to find some excuse to put their hands on you. When a guy sees a pretty girl he'll do just about anything to look at her body or try to touch her."

Lucy was suddenly reminded of Fukayama trolling the halls just so he could stare at her. He had practically propositioned her and had wanted to touch her even though they had been in a public place.

"When they do that though they don't really care about anything beyond the moment. They're just trying to satisfy their immediate hunger. When a guy makes a point of not treating you like a piece of meat it means he wants you to be his regular source."

"Regular source?" Now it was Lucy who sounded confused.

Kahlua gave her a wink. "He wants you to be his loveeeeeeeeeer."

Lucy blushed.

"When you were in the bath with him was his little soldier at attention?"

"What?"

"His little soldier," Kahlua said. "Was he standing at attention? Was he running a flag up the flagpole? Was his rocket on the pad ready for launch? Was the rabbit popping out of his hole? Was…"

"Are you asking me if his penis was erect?"

Kahlua made a face. "Well sure, if you want to put it like that."

"I don't know. I wasn't able to see beneath the water and he was deliberately sitting away from me as he rubbed my shoulders."

"I'll bet he was ready to go then and didn't want you to notice. He definitely wants to make you his woman."

"Really?" She asked hopefully.

"Well that or he didn't want to offend you. You are a scary bitch after all." Kahlua tapped her chin. "You know that might be the reason he didn't look at you. Maybe he was just worried you'd get mad at him if you saw him looking at you that way." She shrugged. "Well either he's really crazy about you or you just scare him."

"So which is it?"

"How should I know?" Kahlua asked.

Lucy stared at her. "Give me my blood back."

"Now, now don't be all nasty," Kahlua told her. "There's a simple way for us to find out."

"How exactly?"

"Easy," Kahlua said with an impish grin. "We give him a test."

XXX

Kouta was lying on the bed in his room just staring up at the ceiling.

He was still thinking about touching Lucy's breasts.

I'm such a horrible guy thinking of her like that. Yet he couldn't help it. He had never in his life wanted a girl the way he wanted her. The fact she was a monster just didn't matter to him, he couldn't see her as anything other than an amazing girl.

There was a knock on his door. "Kouta? Could I come in?" Lucy's voice spoke.

He immediately sat up. He'd been worried she might be mad at him after what had happened but she didn't sound mad. "Uh sure Lucy."

The door slid open and she walked in holding a tray of cookies. "I hope you don't mind but I made these just for you. I was trying out a brand new recipe and I want you to be the first to taste them."

"Sure," he said eagerly. She baked for him all the time when they were studying and he loved her cookies. She held the tray out to him and he took one of the dozen cookies she had there. "Thanks Lucy you're the best."

For some reason he thought his compliment made her look slightly unhappy.

He bit into the cookie and was amazed at the sudden strong flavor filling his mouth. "What… is that… garlic?" It was all he could do not to spit it out.

She nodded. "I wanted to try something really different. I've been in the kitchen slaving away making these just for you. Do you like them?"

Looking at her he somehow forced himself to swallow what was in his mouth and give her an approving smile. "They're great… really, really great."

"I'm so glad you think so Kouta," she held out the tray. "Do you want some more?"

He began to sweat but took more cookies with a feigned eagerness. "Sure."

He ate all of them as she sat there and watched.

He then grabbed his stomach. "Ah, excuse me!" He ran to the bathroom.

XXX

"Bluuuuuuuuugh!"

Outside his room Kahlua and Lucy could hear the sound of him vomiting and flushing the toilet.

"He's totally in love with you," Kahlua told her. "If he were just scared there's no way he'd have eaten so much."

Lucy was not happy with herself. She took no satisfaction in the thought that he really liked her. She was ashamed of herself for making him deliberately sick.

"Uuuuuuwaugh!"

"Ah! The sounds of love!" Kahlua said brightly.

"You're an idiot," Lucy said crossly.

Kahlua smiled at her. "Well you're the one who needed my help so if I'm an idiot what does that make you? Hmmm?"

"I'm going home," Lucy said and stomped off.

Watching her go Kahlua made a little 'V' with her fingers. "Winner."


	25. Kahlua's Haiku

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Author's Note: Just a very short mini-chap. This came to me as I was imagining haikus that different characters might some up with. Obviously I have too much imagination. Also I am still hoping to get more questions you'd like the characters to answer.

Lucy had come back to Kouta's room the next day and was sitting on the bed beside him. "I'm sorry about the cookies Kouta. I promise I won't try out any more new recipes on you."

He gave her a sheepish grin. "Uh, that's okay."

She slid over just a bit closer to him and let her hand 'accidentally' brush against his. "You know if there's anything I could do to make it up to you I'd be happy to. And I do mean anything."

Kouta looked at her and felt his face start to heat up. They were both sitting on his bed and all sorts of thoughts were running through his head.

"Ah Lucy?"

"Yes Kouta?"

"Would… would it be all right if I were to, ah…" He hesitated afraid of her reaction.

"Yes? What is it?" She would happily do anything for him.

"Well would it be okay if I were to touch your…"

The door to his room suddenly slammed open and Kouta jumped to his feet with a guilty expression on his face.

Kahlua was standing there holding a piece of paper in her hands with an excited look on her face. "Hey! Guess what! I've just written my very first haiku! Want to hear it?"

Lucy was looking at her murderously. The beautiful moment with Kouta had been ruined.

"Ah, sure Kahlua I'd love to her it," Kouta said awkwardly.

"Okey dokey." she cleared her throat and read it out.

"I love Lucy's blood.

Why must it be so yummy?

It's a mystery."

Smiling Kouta applauded. "That's very good Kahlua."

"Thank you," she said happily. "What did you think Lucy?"

"Oh it was great," she spoke with a predatory smile. "I have a haiku too. Would you like to hear it?"

"Sure!"

Lucy said:

"You're an idiot.

Leave now before I kill you.

Stupid blonde vampire!"

"Say that was pretty good!" Kahlua said excitedly. "Maybe we could…" She suddenly cut off as a pair of invisible hands started to choke her.


	26. A face in the crowd

The summer days drifted past one after the other. Though busy with her work as a maid and constantly running into the maddening interference of Yuka and Kahlua, Lucy was able to enjoy a lot of private time with Kouta. He knew Kamakura from his time here with his family and was eager to show Lucy around. (She of course maintained the fiction she had never been here before.)

He took her to different restaurants and gift shops. They would visit the market to see if anything interesting was on sale and to wander about from stall to stall amid the bustling crowd of tourists. They also went for long walks together in the nearby woods. She had to close her eyes for just a bit whenever they passed 'their' spot. The place where she had buried her pet dog and where they had originally met all those years before. Kouta had no memory of that time and the spot held no special meaning to him. In a way that really saddened her, it was a connection to him that had gone away. She knew it was for the best, if he remembered that he would remember all of it and that was the last thing she wanted.

Just as she had been his guide and protector at Youkai Academy so Kouta wanted to act as her guide here in Kamakura. In spite of the disaster with the poisonous cookies things had progressed nicely between them and Lucy definitely felt they had grown closer over the summer; though they remained 'just friends.'

One of the best things about the Maple Inn was that it was located on the beach and they all had free access.

"Kouta," Lucy called out as she was lying face down on a beach towel. "Would you mind rubbing oil on my back?" She was dressed in a skimpy two piece red bikini and she had undone her top.

"Uh, sure Lucy," he replied.

"Would you mind getting my legs too? Please?"

She saw his eyes widen and stare at her shapely thighs. He quickly nodded and reached for the sun tan lotion. Feeling his strong hands rubbing the cool oil onto her back she couldn't help but sigh in pleasure. Even though they were out in public there was just something intimate about his touching her like this.

"Oooooohhh," she groaned as his hands touched and massaged her lower back.

Kouta's hands froze in place. "Uh, am I doing it right?"

She turned her face to smile up at him. "You're doing it perfectly Kouta, please don't stop."

"Uh, o… okay," he answered a bit nervously. He had finished with her back and her smooth pale skin was glistening under the hot sun. As she had asked him to he now began with her legs.

"Kouta, you've got nice hands." Lucy purred as he rubbed the back of her calves and then up her hamstrings. "Kouta?"

"Hmm?" His hands were now caressing her thighs spreading the oil over her skin, his fingers gliding easily over her tender flesh. His heart was pounding at just being able to touch her like this, her body was so amazing.

"Can you get higher?"

"Ah, Lucy...if I go higher I'm going to be touching your… uhm..."

"Please, Kouta?" She asked in helpless little girl voice that any man would have a hard time resisting.

"Eh... heh... well, if you want…" He poured out a bit of lotion and started to rub higher up her hamstrings till he reached the cup of her bottom.

That was when Yuka shouted at him.

"Kouta! What are you doing?" His cousin was also lying on the beach about ten feet away from him dressed in a bright yellow swim suit. She was now sitting up glaring daggers at him. "Where are you putting your hands?"

Kouta immediately jerked his hands back as though bitten. "I'm just putting oil on her legs! She asked me to!" He gulped.

"Well where you were touching was NOT her legs! Anyways, MY back needs oil too, so help me would you?"

Lucy looked over at Yuka with a dire frown. The girl had an absolute gift for getting in the way. She obviously couldn't accept that Kouta wasn't interested in her and took every opportunity to try and interfere. "I hope you're real careful when you swim. You never know when an unexpected current might pull you under." Her voice was flat and neutral but there was just the tiniest bit of threat lacing her words.

"Lucy..." Kouta said nervously.

"I'm just saying some people need to be careful." Lucy clarified.

"I happen to be on the swim team," Yuka announced proudly.

"How good for you," Lucy told her. "The undertow can still be very powerful." She narrowed her eyes meaningfully. "Ever get your leg caught by something and no matter how much you kick and squirm, the water is still just over your head? I hear drowning is one of the worst ways to die."

"I'm sure nothing like that is going to happen," Kouta sent Lucy a direct look. "Right Lucy?"

Not while you're here at least, she thought. "I'm just trying to be helpful Kouta. Certain people need to be careful of where they tread."

"Kouta please rub oil on my back too," Yuka said jealously. "Or are you only doing that for her?"

"Oh me too!" Kahlua called out. "I want you to rub oil allllllllll over me." Kahlua giggled.

"Kahlua you're not even wearing a swimsuit you're wearing a gown," Kouta pointed out.

She actually had on one of her gowns and was seated on a wooden chair Garak had brought out for her. He was standing behind her holding a huge parasol to shield her from the summer sun. Being a vampire she naturally had no interest in swimming, but had still wanted to come out and join them.

"So?" Kahlua replied blankly. "We can do it back in my room. I'll get naked and you can pour it allllllllll over me."

Both Yuka and Lucy sent her dark looks.

"Ah Kahlua? How will that help you get a tan?" Kouta asked.

She blinked. "Who said I wanted to get a tan?"

"Idiot," Lucy muttered under her breath.

XXX

The following day Lucy completed her work by early afternoon and was headed out to buy a yukata. The festival was tomorrow and she wanted to wear a traditional outfit. Kahlua would be coming with her, she already had tons of outfits but loved to shop.

"I can't believe the summer is coming to an end," Lucy noted as they were about to leave. "Another week and we'll be back at Youkai."

Kahlua nodded. "I'm just glad Kouta agreed to spend his vacation with me."

"Actually you didn't really give me a choice," Kouta reminded her.

"You kidnapped him, remember?" Lucy added.

"Did I?" Kahlua tapped her chin trying to remember. "All I recall is that I never invited you mean girl."

Lucy sent her a flat look and was once more tempted to choke the life out of her.

"Well, no matter how it began I've had a great summer and I'm glad all three of us got to spend it here." Kouta said. "Anyway I have to go meet my friend so I'll see you two later."

"Are you sure you can't come with us?" Lucy asked plaintively. "You can invite your friend along I don't mind. He is a boy, right?"

"Hideki is definitely a boy and he's only in town today so I really want to just go see him and hang out for a bit."

"Fine," she muttered. Even though they spent so much time together she still hated having to be parted from him. She wanted to be with him all the time.

"Don't be late coming back," Kahlua admonished with a shake of her finger. "I still haven't eaten today."

"Right," Kouta said weakly and unconsciously rubbed his neck. He hurried off and the two girls headed out in the opposite direction.

XXX

"Yo, Kouta, long time no see."

"Hey Hideki," Kouta nodded to the other boy. He was had a black bandanna over his head and was dressed in a leather jacket and torn jeans. He looked every inch the Yankee. (Japanese slang for 'thug' tells you something of how they see us eh?) They had known each other in middle school and become friends while Kouta was going through a defiant stage.

"Wasn't expecting to hear from you and I sure as hell wasn't expecting that favor you asked me for." He sent his former classmate a wide grin. "That school of yours really so dangerous?"

"You have no idea," Kouta told him and looked about the street. Seeing no one paying them special attention he turned back to Hideki and lowered his voice. "So, do you have it?"

"Do you have the money?"

Nodding quickly Kouta handed him a wad of bills. "Twenty thousand yen, like you said."

Hideki grabbed the money and quickly counted it.

"You don't trust me?" Kouta asked.

"If I didn't trust you I wouldn't have done this," Hideki told him. "Business is business though." Satisfied he shoved the cash into a pocket and nodded toward an alley they were passing. "In there."

The two boys hurried into the alley way out of the direct line of sight of the people walking past. Hideki pulled out a package wrapped in a plain brown paper bag and handed it over to Kouta. "You really sure about this Kouta? We used to steal beer and cigarettes but you were never really a tough guy. You know how illegal this thing is in Japan? Seriously, what the hell do you need it for?"

Kouta carefully opened the package and slipped out a black piece of metal to momentarily hold in his hands. His hands were shaking a little at the weight and the feel of it.

"Smith and Wesson Model 642 Revolver, thirty eight caliber with a five round capacity." Hideki told him. "You also have a box with fifty rounds. That's what you wanted right? It'll fit in your pocket and is easy to hide."

Kouta nodded his head and put the revolver back in the paper bag. "Yes it is, thanks Hideki, I really owe you." He hid the bag inside his within a shopping bag he's brought along.

"If you get busted just don't tell anyone where you got it."

"I won't," Kouta promised.

"You know you're going to get your ass expelled from that school and probably end up in jail if anybody finds that. You really sure you want it?"

"I'm sure," Kouta told him. Now all I have to do is find the monster who killed my family.

XXX

The department store was busy with shoppers eager to get end of summer bargains. Lucy had her yukata in a shopping bag and was ready to go.

"Don't you want to stay and do some more shopping?" Kahlua asked with a pout.

Lucy just shook her head. "I've got what I want I don't need anything more."

"Shopping is about he hunt! Not just the kill!"

Lucy once more shook her head. If she wasn't with Kouta she didn't care about shopping. Her life had left her completely unmaterialistic. When she went out it was to buy something she wanted, not to spend time looking about.

"You can stay and shop, I'm heading back."

"Fine, bleh," Kahlua stuck her tongue out at her and headed off to look at some shoes.

Satisfied with what she'd gotten Lucy headed out thinking about being with Kouta at the festival tomorrow. The last and only time she had attended had been that night. This time would be different. Kouta had already told her that they would go together. They would eat festival treats, play games, go on the rides, and end watching the fireworks together. And if the moment is right maybe we'll finally kiss, she thought dreamily. Her mind was far away thinking on the possibilities of the coming night and she did not look at the faces she was passing.

One of them saw her and was less than five feet away as she walked past oblivious.

He stopped and his eyes widened as he watched her go. Her horns were gone but he'd gotten a clear look at her face and knew it was her.

"Lucy," Chief Kurama whispered. "You've come back."


	27. Festival night

In the long years she had been confined Lucy had had countless hours to think about her life and to dream. All of her dreams had centered around Kouta in one way or another. She had dreamed of kissing him, of holding his hand, of asking forgiveness and having him actually grant it.

Of telling him that she loved him.

She had never once dreamed of attending the festival with him though. Her only memories of the festival were painful ones. She had witnessed what she'd considered his betrayal of her and had gone insane. She'd started killing everyone within reach, not caring anymore if people saw her horns. If Kouta did not really care about her then all that was left was to make her own place in the world by killing everyone who got in her way. The tragic events of later that evening had begun at the festival.

Tonight would be different though. Kouta had no memories of that evening; for him it had never happened. This was a chance for her to do things the right way. She would get to make new memories with Kouta.

I'm going to do it tonight, she thought to herself as she arrived at the Maple Inn dressed in her yukata wearing wooden geta on her feet. I'm going to tell Kouta that I love him.

Up until now she'd hesitated. She'd been afraid of his rejection. The thought of confessing to him and having him turn away from her scared her far more than dying ever could. He was her whole world. If she ever lost him she would kill herself, that or she would go insane again.

Does the fact I'd rather die than live without him mean I am already insane? She wondered. She knew she was definitely obsessed. She had no dreams for herself that did not revolve around Kouta. She wanted to be his wife some day and to have his children. To have him love her, to always be by his side, that was her fondest, her only wish.

Did the fact she would cheerfully massacre anyone who threatened that count as insanity? If it did she was fine with that. Given the life she'd led it would be surprising if she wasn't mentally unbalanced. Whether she was or not didn't really matter to her. Inside her heart there was Kouta and no one else. Over the summer they had gotten closer despite the interference of incestuous cousins and empty headed vampires. She'd noticed the way he would look at her sometimes and sensed his desire for more. He had no idea just how ready she was to give him everything if only he would ask her. All he ever had to do was ask. She was already his.

Approaching the door to his room she ran through various scenarios of how she would confess to him. The best, the most romantic way would be to tell him just as the fireworks signaling the end of the festival commenced. They would be all alone somewhere. He would be holding her hand and they would be looking deep into each other's eyes. She would then say to him…

"Kooooooooouta-kun! You smell yummy!"

CRASH

"Ow! Ow, that really hurts you know!"

Lucy slammed open the door to his room and was not surprised to see him sprawled on the floor with Kahlua on top of him greedily clamping down on his neck.

She could hear slurping sounds.

"Do you have to do that every damn day?" Lucy asked grinding her teeth.

Kahlua at last released him and licked her lips. "Ah! That is sooooooooo good!" She looked over at Lucy who was quietly fuming and answered in a melodic voice. "I don't have to, I do it because I can."

Lucy stood at the doorway glaring at her. Kouta and Kahlua could both hear her teeth grind.

Kahlua sighed. "You're going to start choking me again aren't you?"

"I'm thinking about it," Lucy told her.

"Uh Kahlua? Could you get off me now?"

Kouta was still lying on the floor pinned beneath the blonde vampire. The position they were in was a bit compromising as Kahlua was sitting on his hips with legs spread on either side of him. Noticing just where she was an amused grin lit the girl's face and she began to grind against him.

"Why Kouta-kun? This might be fuuuuuuuun. Want to stop being a virgin?"

In the next instant Kahlua was being violently shaken by invisible hands as she made choking sounds.

XXX

"That's a very… interesting yukata Kahlua," Kouta said as he and three girls headed to the festival. The girls were all dressed up in traditional clothing while Kouta had decided to just go in a plain button down shirt and jeans.

"I know! Isn't it just darling?" Kahlua chirped happily. She twirled about to show it off.

"Darling isn't the word I'd use," Yuka muttered under her breath.

Kouta silently agreed. Kahlua's yukata had the image of brown bats biting down on various animals and feeding on them. Personally he thought it a bit hideous but Kahlua obviously liked it so he merely nodded.

"That is the ugliest yukata I have ever seen," Lucy told her. "That thing will scare children."

"Bleh!" Kahlua stuck out her tongue at her. "You're just jealous that you couldn't get a designer yukata made."

"Yeah, that's it." Lucy replied with a roll of her eyes.

Kouta looked over at her. Lucy's was mostly red with plenty of orange and yellow as well. It depicted a setting sun. "I think yours is very pretty Lucy."

The simple words of praise made her blush slightly. "Thank you Kouta."

Looking on Yuka sighed in frustration. He was doing it again. Her cousin was giving the girl 'that' look. He was looking at her as though she were the only thing in the world. Despite all of her best efforts she hadn't gotten Kouta to see her as anything other than his cousin. He wouldn't see her as an attractive young woman no matter what she did.

At first Yuka had assumed that Kahlua was the one she had to worry about. (She still shuddered at the shameless way the blonde has tried to come on to her and 'eat' her.) Over the summer though she'd seen that Kouta didn't care for the girl as anything more than a friend while the flighty Kahlua saw him as just one of her many amusements.

Lucy on the other hand loved him. It was obvious and she had even admitted as much in the onsen. Kouta was probably the only one who didn't know it. She was sure that nothing had happened between them as yet, but in less than a week they would be leaving to go back to their school. What would happen then?

Yuka knew without a doubt that she could make Kouta happy. She loved him ad had since they were just kids. In Japan marriage between cousins was nothing out of the ordinary. If they got married they could settle down in Kamakura and have a happy life together. She just needed to make him see her as a woman and not as his cute little cousin.

XXX

The festival was packed. A crowd of locals and tourists milled between various rides and stalls. The air was heavy with the delicious scent of various foods and sweets. In the background folk music played and people talked while the high pitched laughter of children broke in and out. Vendors shouted trying to get customers. Lights flashed and blinked all around them. It was a feast for all the senses.

To Yuka it was nothing special, she attended it every year near the end of summer.

To Kahlua it was a quant and amusing entertainment.

To Kouta, whose memories of his last festival were gone, it was a pleasant reminder of happier times.

To Lucy it was a reminder of past sins.

XXX

They ate and played at the different games.

"You're not supposed to eat the goldfish!" Yuka cried.

Gulp. "Then why bother trying to scoop them up?" Kahlua asked.

XXX

"Try you luck!" A vendor shouted. "Pick a color and toss the ball! If the ball lands on your color win the prize of your choice!"

"I'll play," Lucy told him and handed over her money. She placed her token on red and then gave the plastic ball a soft toss.

It went directly to the red square on the game board and remained there without bouncing even once. It was as if someone had placed he ball down with her hand.

The astonished vendor handed her a huge stuffed puppy.

"I won," Lucy said needlessly.

"Amazing." Kouta replied sounding not too impressed.

XXX

At a game stall Yuka carefully broke off the form of a sleeping cat that had been impressed into a cardboard square. It was a child's game. Kouta looked on from over her shoulder.

"You're really good at that Yuka."

"Thanks," she said. "By the way, do you remember a promise you made to me the last time we were here?"

"Promise?" He asked blankly.

XXX

Flashback

"If you can ever do this on your own I'll do anything you ask," an eight year old Kouta told her as he broke off a tiger cleanly and easily.

Yuka had a small pile of misshaped cardboard animals next to her. "Really? You promise?"

"Sure," he said.

XXX

"Sorry, I don't remember my last trip here. Did I promise something?"

"Never mind," Yuka said wearily.

XXX

It was near the end of the night when Lucy saw her chance.

Yuka excused her self to go to the little girls' room.

"Say Kahlua," Lucy said. "I think those kids over there wanted to tell you how great they think your yukata is. Maybe you should give them a closer look."

"Okey dokey," she said and strolled over.

Lucy then grabbed him by the hand and pulled him away through he crowd. "Come on!" She said eagerly.

"What are you doing?" Kouta asked but did not try to resist.

"Let's find some place private to watch the fireworks."

XXX

They headed into the nearby woods and found a small clearing that gave hey an ideal view of the night sky as well as privacy.

"Alone at last," she said to him.

"Lucy what are you up to?" Kouta asked her feeling a bit nervous.

"I just wanted to watch the fireworks with you alone," she slowly moved closer to him. "That's okay isn't it? You don't mind do you?"

Standing so close to him underneath the stars Kouta could feel his heat beginning to pound in his chest. She was so lovely and when he was alone with her he always started to feel nervous. "No Lucy I never mind." Feeling a bit braver than usual he reached out and took her hand, slipping his fingers in between hers.

They were alone under the stars. The fireworks were about to begin. He had taken her hand and was looking at her with obvious affection. The moment was right.

"Kouta," she said softly moving still closer to him. "There's something very important I want to tell you."

"Yes Lucy?" He could feel butterflies in his stomach.

Somewhere in the dark there was a soft 'click.'

Lucy felt a sudden sharp sting in the back of her shoulder. She turned to see a tranquilizer dart sticking out of her yukata. She could already feel her body getting numb.

"Kouta… run…" It was all she could say before passing out and collapsing.

"Lucy!" He caught her as she pitched forward. "Lucy! Lucy are you all right?" He hadn't seen the dart and didn't know what was going on.

All at once there was commotion all around him. He stared wide eyed as soldiers with steel helmets and flack jackets came out of the woods. They all had automatic rifles pointing at him as they surrounded him and Lucy. With them was a single man in a suit and glasses. He looked to be in charge as the soldiers let him approach while keeping a distance.

"You are a very lucky young man," the man in the suit and glasses told him. "You have no idea what this girl really is or what she might have done to you. I'm afraid you'll have to come with us. She may have infected you so you'll have to have an operation."

"What? Who are you people what do you want with us?"

"You're not the one who will be asking the questions here."

At a nod a soldier came up to Kouta and slammed the butt of his rifle into the back of his head. Kouta dropped with Lucy still in his arms.

XXX

As the fireworks began overhead Kurama and the SAT were already on their way back to the research facility.


	28. A promise

"Where are they?" It was now well past midnight and the festival had ended some time ago. Yuka had been very upset to find that Kouta and Lucy had ditched her and gone off somewhere by themselves. She had returned to the Maple Inn rather than go home in order to give Kouta a piece of her mind. It was getting late though and she was really starting to worry that something might have happened.

"Whatcha doin'?" A lilting melodic voice asked peeking out of her room.

"Kouta and Lucy aren't back yet and I'm worried." Yuka momentarily paused in her pacing. "Maybe something bad happened to them."

"Uh, uh," Kahlua shook her head. "Lucy can take of herself. She can be really mean when she wants. Any way I'm sure they're both fine."

"It's almost one in the morning what could they possibly be doing?"

Laughing Kahlua instantly burst into song. "Lucy and Kouta sitting in a tree, F-U-C-…"

"Hey!" Yuka interrupted angrily. "My cousin wouldn't do something like that!"

Kahlua giggled naughtily. "How come? Does Kouta-kun like being a virgin? Hmmmmm?"

That made Yuka go red in the face. "That's it, I'm going to go out look for them."

"Lucy will get mad if you interrupt." With the fingers of one hand she made a little circle and began jabbing her index finger in and out in rapid succession.

"Kouta is not doing that!" Yuka replied sharply. "They probably got lost or something. I'm going to go find them."

"Nuh, uh," Kahlua chided with a shake of her head. "If you want I'll find them for you. I feel like a late night snack anyway."

XXX

She felt and icy cold flowing through her body. She was being forced awake. As her eyes opened and her senses came back to her she saw the world with a red haze to it. Her arms were wrapped around her chest and there was a weight pressing down on her shoulders. She knew immediately that she was hanging suspended in a straightjacket with a helmet locked onto her head.

Instinctively she lashed out with her vectors at the hated restraints. She easily ripped apart the cloth freeing her arms. However the helmet as well as metal belt and chain that held her suspended refused to break. She swung about violently in mid air as her vectors yanked at the chain and the helmet.

"That's enough of that Lucy," a cool disinterested voice said.

"Yaaah!" She cried out in pain as an electric shock was administered through her helmet. Breaking her concentration the vectors retreated back into her body.

"You have been away for over a year now Lucy. Have you forgotten how we deal with disobedience here?"

The pain stopped and she was able to think again. She took inventory of her situation. A thin, but very strong, steel belt was bolted on to her just above her hips. It was connected by a heavy chain to the top of her cage. Lucy was surrounded by metal bars formed in the shape of a dome, a bit like some vast birdcage. Hanging where she was the perimeter of her cage was outside the reach of her vectors.

Beyond the bars was Karama and six guards armed with sub machine guns. If Karama was here then she was back in hell.

Her soul plunged into despair. Her short sweet time in the sun was already at an end. Her escape had been a miracle and she knew better than to think it would be repeated. No, if she was here again there was no hope. She was no longer a person, she was once more reduced to nothing but a living test subject. She would be kept naked and alone from now on. They would speak to her only to give her orders, they would feed her from a trough as though she were a pig or some other farm animal. No rights, no freedom, no dignity, she was just an animal again.

The hopelessness of it overwhelmed her and it was all she could do just to keep from crying and moaning. She'd been a person for too long. She'd been free. She'd walked under the blue sky and felt the warm sun on her face. She'd had people actually treat her with kindness. She'd actually been happy. She'd found herself actually living with real hope.

She'd been with Kouta.

Now she would never see him again. Never get to talk to him again. Never feel the touch of his hand. Never have the chance to kiss him.

She would never be able to tell him that she loved him.

"Kill me," she said. Her tone was empty of life or even the slightest bit of hope. It came out with a tinny echo from within her helmet. "Please just kill me."

"No," Karama replied. Though she was hanging there naked before him his eyes held only a cold clinical interest. "You are too important to our research for that. I have a great many questions for you. The first one is how did you escape? So far as we can tell the monitors were not disabled and the outer vault door was never opened. Your escape should have been impossible. How did you manage it Lucy?"

"I grew wings and flew away."

She was not surprised when she felt another electric shock go through her body making her twitch and spasm uncontrollably. Knowing it was coming though she was able to keep from crying out.

Karama waited patiently for her body to stop jerking about before continuing as though nothing had happened. "I don't believe it's possible that you have been in Kamakura this entire time. Where have you been this past year? How many people have you killed? How many have you infected with your vectors? Why did you return here?"

"I was a chamber maid in the imperial palace. I've killed and infected millions. I came back because I heard what a nice vacation spot this was."

Again there was pain and again she was helpless to do anything. Her only act of defiance was in not screaming or crying. She knew how utterly heartless these men were and that it would not do any good any way.

"There is no point in being stubborn Lucy," Karama said sounding patient. "You know we can do much worse. I would like to avoid that if I could."

"Liar," she spat. "When have you or anyone else here ever given a damn about that?"

"I know we have been cruel," he admitted. He did not sound concerned by it. "We are only acting in defense of the human race."

"That's another lie," she told him. "If this were only about that you would just kill us. That I could understand. Even keeping some of us as prisoners I might understand. But torturing us? Treating us like lab rats? Keeping us naked and chained up? What has any of that got to do with defending yourselves?"

"You Dicloni are monsters," he told her calmly. "Your only instinct is to murder. You are not human and are not entitled to anything."

"You butcher us, you treat us like animals and you really truly don't see anything wrong with it? You know, in a different place and time you would have made a fine Nazi. You and the others here are worse monsters than I could ever dream of being."

"Are you being serious Lucy? You were already a killer when you were still just a child. Before you were even a teenager you'd brutally killed dozens of innocent people."

A harsh laughter that seemed tainted by the madness was torn from her. "Innocent people? What innocent people? The very first people I ever killed were sadists just like you. They held me and made me watch as they beat my pet dog to death. I've killed but it was always to protect myself, because I had to, or because I just plain went crazy. I've never spent months and years torturing anyone. How about you? Do you think you're not a monster just because you don't have horns? You humans really are disgusting."

"Does that include the boy you were with? You didn't seem to find him very disgusting."

"What did you do with him?" The second she said it she clamped down her teeth and knew she had made a mistake. She should have pretended not to care about him at all, but when Karama mentioned him she just couldn't help it.

Karama looked at her as he would have a specimen under a microscope. He did not reveal what he thought or what he suspected. He answered with that same maddening calm. "At the moment he is lying in the infirmary under guard. We will ask him how long he has known you and exactly what you have revealed to him. Since he is just your victim and a human we have no intention of hurting him. As he does not know who we are we will simply release him. After all, nothing that he says can be traced back to us. Though of course he will have to be sterilized fist since you may have infected him."

Her own worries were forgotten as all she could think about was the fact Kouta was in danger. He couldn't be hurt because of her.

"What do you mean sterilized?" She demanded.

"He will be castrated," Karama told her indifferently. "If you infected him any women he impregnated would give birth to dicloni. We can't allow that."

"I never penetrated his body with my vectors! I would never do that to Kouta!"

"Kouta?" Karama asked coolly. "Is that his name?"

Idiot! She cursed herself. Her worry for Kouta was making her blurt out things. If they found out just how much he meant to her she would be putting his life in very serious danger. "He is just some stupid boy I met, but he's nice. He doesn't deserve to have his balls cut off just because he liked me!"

"What does it matter what he deserves?" Karama asked.

Lucy looked at him and his uncaring expression through the red haze of her helmet's glass. "If you hurt him I swear to you I'll take away everything you care about. I'll burn this damn place to the ground."

"Quite a threat over some boy you barely know."

"I mean it!" She swore. "Don't hurt him! Don't touch him! Do whatever you want to me I don't care. If you even touch him I swear to all the gods above and below to make you suffer."

"I believe you Lucy, but it's not enough to make threats if you are powerless to fulfill them. I don't know how you escaped but there will be six guards present with you at all times from now on. You won't escape a second time. I am going to learn all your secrets Lucy. Not only how you escaped but where you have been and just what you have been doing. I am going to get everything from you." He turned to go. "Get a good night's sleep, starting tomorrow I will be interrogating you."

"I WILL make you suffer if you hurt him!" She shouted after him.

Karama left without bothering to acknowledge her. The six remaining guards did not look worried but made very sure to keep a safe distance from her cage.

XXX

Kouota came awake in a narrow hospital bed. He had to squint as the overhead light was far too bright.

He noticed he was no longer dressed in his clothes but was wearing a hospital gown. As he tried to sit up something bit into his right wrist. He was handcuffed to the bed. "Where am I? What's going on here?" Looking about he was alone in a hospital room. There were no windows and nothing to suggest where he might be. "Where's Lucy? Hey! Can anyone hear me?"

His shout did bring a response.

The door to his room opened with a soft click and a middle aged man in a white lab coat entered. "I see you're awake. How do you feel?"

"Where is this place? Why am I here and what have those soldiers done with Lucy?"

"I'm afraid you're not the one to be asking questions," the man told him. "We'll be prepping you for surgery soon. After that you'll be the one to answer questions. Don't worry though, besides this procedure we have no intention of harming you."

"Surgery?" Kouta felt ice run through his veins. Are they going to steal my kidneys?

"It will be all right," the man said showing just a hint of sympathy. "You can still lead a full life even if you can't father children."

Kouta stared at him with his mouth open.

XXX

Just beyond the perimeter of the research facility a figure moved in the shadows chasing after a pair of scents.

Kahlua halted and looked at the imposing building with it's high concrete walls, iron gate and watch towers.

"Wow," she said. "What an awesome love motel!" Leaping over the fifteen foot high wall she entered the research facility. "I hope Kouta doesn't mind letting me have a quick bite."


	29. This is not a love motel

Karama was just heading back to his office when his cell phone rang. Checking the caller ID he was not surprised to find it was Director Kakuzawa. With a weary sigh he flipped open the phone.

"Karama here." He listened for a moment to the old man's questions and instructions. "Yes we have her… No not yet… Yes as you like."

He shut off the phone and changed direction heading down a different hallway. The Director was insisting he come to him immediately to report in person. A helicopter was already on its way.

"A waste of time," Karama muttered beneath his breath. There was nothing he could tell him in person that could not have been said over the phone. This was just the Director's way of keeping him under his thumb.

XXX

"Aaaah!" The guard's shout was cut off by a bone crunching punch.

"That wasn't nice, pointing your gun at me." Kahlua chided wagging a finger at him. "All I wanted was to get directions, this place is really confusing you know."

She had removed her rosario and so was standing there in her festival yukata with demonic red eyes and silver hair. For some reason whenever she tried talking to someone they either tried to run away or shoot her.

"The staff here is really not nice, this must be the worst love motel ever." She paused but the guard was unconscious and not likely to answer her.

Sighing she began walking down another random corridor when she picked up the faintest hint of a certain someone.

"Oh goody! Finally!" She set off in the direction of the familiar scent.

XXX

Kouta was staring at the doctor in the white lab coat. He couldn't even begin to understand what was going on. One moment he was alone with Lucy enjoying a very private conversation with her. The next she was down and they were surrounded by men with guns. They had knocked him out and had woken up here in what seemed to be a hospital room handcuffed to the bed. Now he was being told he was going to have an operation that would keep him from fathering children!

"Look I don't know what's going on but there's been some sort of terrible mistake."

"Oh there's been no mistake," the doctor informed him as he took out a plain manila folder. "That girl you were with, how long have you known her? What is the nature of your relationship?"

Kouta licked his lips and looked about he room. Those were dangerous questions. They touched on Youkai Academy and he could not reveal anything about the school without putting his life in serious danger. Much more importantly he would be putting Lucy in danger too.

Assuming she wasn't already.

"I don't really know her that well," Kouta said trying his best to sound convincing. "We only met a couple months ago when I came here for the summer break."

The doctor gave him a knowing grin and shook his head a bit. "You're not a very good liar. Listen to me young man, it's in your own best interest to tell us everything you know about this girl. Believe me, whatever you may think she is more dangerous than you could ever imagine."

Do they know she's a monster? He wondered. It was the only thing that made sense. He knew she was dangerous but she hadn't hurt anyone and had been attacked for no reason. "I don't know what you're talking about. Lucy is just a regular girl, she'd never hurt anyone."

"Lucy eh? I see she didn't bother to change her name. That girl is anything but regular no matter what she looks like now." He opened the folder and took out the contents. "Tell me, does she look like a regular girl in these?" He tossed down a handful of photographs.

They were all pictures of Lucy.

In all of them she was staring back at the camera with an empty lifeless expression. Some of them were head shots and some were of her entire naked body. Despite the look on her face he recognized her. Under other circumstances his first reaction would have been to demand to know just how they had gotten pictures of her naked. Under other circumstances he would have been staring at her breasts and other features.

But what stood out to him now were the horns.

On top of her head were two bone white horns shaped a bit like cat's ears. His breath was suddenly coming in short gasps and he could feel his arms and legs trembling. 'You're a liar.' He heard a little girl's voice cursing him. He saw her face looking at him with hurt and anger.

He remembered.

"Lucy… oh God."

He couldn't breathe. He fell back into the bed and passed out.

Watching him convulse and pass out he doctor called in a couple guards before checking on him. The boy wasn't faking though. He really had lost consciousness.

"Well I suppose it was too big a shock for him." The doctor mused. "Well we may as well get on with the surgery. We can continue this afterwards."

XXX

Lucy hung helplessly suspended within her cage. For all her fury she was powerless to do anything. If she could have reached the guards she would have happily torn them to pieces. They very obviously understood that and were keeping a healthy distance from the edge of her bars. Where was Kouta right now? What were they doing to him?

She wanted to howl and rip out her hair. All she could think of was that Kouta was going to be hurt because of her. She couldn't let that happen. She had already harmed him once horribly. It could not happen again, not even indirectly. What was the point of even being alive if you caused the only one you loved to suffer? Wasn't that the worst possible Hell?

"Oh Kouta," she whispered. "I love you. I love you. I love you."

She'd meant to tell him that at the festival just as the fireworks began. If she ever saw him again she would tell him without hesitation. But she didn't believe it would ever happen again. It would take a miracle.

A warning siren sounded.

The heavy steel doors were slowly opening. The guards had their submachine guns readied and pointed towards the door. No one scheduled to come here for another six and a half hours when they would be relieved. Unauthorized entries were strictly forbidden and the men were tasking no chances.

When the vault doors had at last stopped an unearthly figure danced into view. The men all gasped and looked on disbelieving.

"Oooooh Lucy I never knew you liked being tied up. Does Kouta know you're so naughty?"

XXX

Omake

"Hey everyone! Kahlua here! Author-kun had so much fun with the last omake he decided to do another one. And since I'm his super duper number one favorite he asked me to do this on my own! Now to start with…"

"Hey!" Lucy shouts and storms into the room followed by Kouta. "What are you up to?"

"Nothing," she says and hides the papers behind her back.

"Oh really? Then what are these?" Without warning an invisible hand yanks the papers out of her hands.

"Hey! No fair! Give 'em back!"

The papers are brought to Lucy and she looks them over with a frown. "These are questions from our readers." She gives the blonde vampire a flat look. "You were going to answer them without us weren't you?"

"Oh, did I forget to tell you?" Kahlua asks looking innocent and whistling a cheerful tune. "Must have slipped my mind."

"Well It's so tiny I could believe it."

"Hey!"

Kouta sighs and steps between them. "Since we're all here and I'm sure our readers are eager to have their questions answered why don't we get to it?"

"Fine," Lucy replies and looks at the first sheet. "We have a question for the author from Mikejv37. DAMNIR, YOU EVIL BASTAGE, WHY MUST YOU KEEP DOING THAT TO US?"

"Do what?" Kouta asks.

"I think he's referring to cliff hangers," Lucy answered.

"Oh yeah, the author just loves those." Kouta agrees.

"Tell me about it," Lucy says. "Mike the answer is pretty simple; because he can and he really is an evil bastard."

All three characters nod their heads.

"We have another one from Mikejv37 this is a question about Kahlua. 'Is it possible to be totally naive AND a total slut at the same time?'"

"Hey! That's mean!" Kahlua cries. "I'm not naïve!"

"The answer to your question Mike is yes." Lucy says. "Here is another question sent to us by Yasunari. 'Kaluha I really want to ask: Are you actually that hopelessly dense?'"

"Wah! Why is everybody being so mean to me? How am I dense?"

"Uh, Kahlua you kidnapped me without even asking." Kouta said.

"You asked Yuka if you could 'eat her.'" Lucy reminded. "You interrupted a beautiful moment between me and Kouta with your dumb haiku and are always getting between us."

"So?"

"Yasunari, the answer to that is a great big yes."

"Okay give me those!" Kahlua grabs the papers from out of Lucy's hands and starts to shuffle through them. "Oh here's one about you mean girl. This is sent to us from Calen. 'She's still evil Kouta! She wants to kill your cousin just like she slaughtered your baby sister and father! Kill it!'"

"Hey wait a minute! That's not a question!"

Kahlua grins at her. "I just like the opinion."

Both girls glare at each other.

"Wait," Kouta speaks up and looks at Lucy. "You want to kill Yuka?"

"Oh come on Kouta, everyone hates her!" She takes the stack back from Kahlua and finds one she'd noted earlier. "Here this is from our author's dear friend Mistress Ayako. 'Can Yuka somehow get a long torturous death?'"

"Actually," Kahlua speaks up laughing. "Author-kun can give her a fate much worse than death."

XXX

In An Alternate Storyline

"I now pronounce you man and wife."

"Huh?" Yuka cries in shock. "Why am I in a wedding dress? And just who are you?" Look at the much older man with glasses and a beard standing to her side.

"I am Gendo Ikari. And do not fear Yuka, you will enjoy being an EVA pilot."

XXX

"Married to Gendo Ikari?" Kouta shudders. "Wow that really is a fate worse than death."

The girls both nod.

"I spent years in isolation being tortured and even I wouldn't want that," Lucy says. "Anyway here is one from Zephyrclaws. 'I have one: I don't remember whether you've said this or not, but... what does Kahlua's father think about her nymphomaniacal tendencies?'"

"Daddy thinks it's cute how shy I am and that I should be more outgoing."

Lucy and Kouta both stare at her.

"You're kidding," Kouta says.

"Nope."

"Your family sounds kind of scary," Lucy says.

"You have no idea."

"Okay, moving along," Kouta takes a question from the pile. "This is form kohtaxlucy fan. 'Lucy: I noticed that in an earlier chapter, when Kahlua said you would probably rape Kohta, you didn't deny it. You actually considered that?' Wait, what? Lucy you would never consider something like that right?"

"No comment."

"Huh?" Kouta looks at her and carefully inches away.

"Okay last question for the night!" Kahlua announces in her sing song voice. "This also comes to us from Author-kun's treasured Mistress Ayako. 'Can I PLEASE get that threesome with Kaluha and Lucy?'"

"What?" Lucy sounds outraged. "Hey! What do you take me for? There is no possible way…"

"Hey Lucy! She sent a picture of herself. She's hot!" The vampire shows the red head the photo.

Lucy looks at it for a moment. "I'll think about it, but I want to be the one on top."

Kahlua grins and mouths the words 'call me.'


	30. Smoke and the smell of blood

The six guards stood facing the odd woman as she swayed her hips back and forth as though dancing to a music only she could hear. These men knew that monsters were real. After all what were the dicloni but monsters brought to life? Yet here was something none of them had ever imagined. Even as the strange girl danced before them they could all sense a suffocating aura coming from her. Their instincts were telling them to run, to hide, on some primal level they recognized her as a predator.

"So Lucy," the girl called to the other monster in the room. "Where's Kouta? I'm feeling kind of peckish."

From inside her helmet Lucy was staring almost as dumbfounded as the guards. Kahlua's question though brought her back to her senses. "He's somewhere in this base about to have his balls cut off."

Kahlua stopped in mid motion. Her eyebrows shot up in a comical look of surprise. "Why? Did he call you fat or something?"

"What are you?" One of the guards shouted tightening his grip on his weapon.

Kahlua tilted her head slightly as she looked at them. The men were surprised to see tears begin to fall from those inhuman eyes. "I am a vampire," she pulled up the edges of her yukata and performed a graceful curtsy. "My name is Shuzen Kahlua."

"Don't be ridiculous!" The guard told her. "There's no such thing as vampires!"

"Really?" She grinned even as the tears continued to flow. "Then how do you explain me?"

"Why are you crying?" A different guard asked.

"I always cry when I have to take a life," she said and wiped the tears from her cheeks. "I hate it, but if you pull those triggers I'll have to kill you all."

Her words only hastened the inevitable.

"Open fire!" The lead guard shouted.

As one all six sub machine guns blazed away.

The girl vanished in a blur right before their eyes. In the very same instant there was blood pumping into the air as two guards had their heads neatly sliced off. It happened so fast they never even had the chance to scream.

"I'm sorry," she told the corpses even as they were still standing. Both her arms had been transformed into razor sharp scythes.

"I'm sorry," she told the next guard as she gutted him like a fish. Slicing him open from neck to crotch. As he toppled over he watched as his own guts and intestines poured out of his belly. Mercifully he did not live long.

Two of the guards swung their weapons around aiming for her back and opened up. She again disappeared in a blur but their ripped into the chest of another guard killing him with a hail of led.

"I'm sorry," she said as she landed behind the last two and speared one through the back. Her arm sliced clean through and came put the front. Blood poured out of both wounds as she yanked her arm back out.

The last guard tried to shoot but had his weapon torn from his hands and tossed aside. The girl's arms had now transformed back to flesh and blood. She grabbed him about he throat.

He tried to break free but her grip was like steel. She just stood there holding him by the neck for a moment. Her clothes and her face were spattered in blood and she was still crying.

"Please," he begged with the little bit of breath he had. "I have a wife and son."

"I really am terribly sorry."

Snap.

The arms and legs jerked and were then still. She let him drop and then hurried to the cage where Lucy was still prisoner.

"I never thought I would say this, but I am very glad to see you." Lucy's voice said with a faint echo.

"So did you forget to pay the bill?" Kahlua asked as she nonchalantly tore open the metal bars of the cage.

"Oh no," she said. "I am going to pay them back. I am going to pay back everything I owe and keep the promise I made. First though we have to save Kouta."

"Okey dokey." Kahlua tore off Lucy's restraints. "Hold still for a second." With her bare hands she carefully cracked open the steel helmet and then threw it away.

Lucy blinked as the world was no longer colored through red lenses. She took a deep breath and steadied herself. She was still hurting from the electric shock but had no time to worry about it. She turned to the blonde vampire and gave the blood splattered girl a nod. "Thanks for saving me."

Kahlua grinned and looked very pleased. "No biggie. What are friends for?"

Surrounded by bodies and blood Lucy could only chuckle at the care free reaction. "Well I guess we are friends now."

"Yeah! Does this mean I can drink your blood whenever I want?" Kahlua asked excitedly.

"No."

Outside in the corridor sirens began to blare.

"Come on! We have to go save Kouta! If they're going to operate on him he'll be in the medical wing." Completely naked she ran past the bodies towards the door. She knew this place like the back of her hand and made a bee line for the operating rooms.

XXX

Doctor Takada and a couple of nurses had just given their patient anesthesia when the base alarms sounded. He decided not to begin the operation in case they were forced to evacuate the area. As they waited in the sterile operating room the could hear gunfire and screams seeming to draw closer. The nurses looked very worried as the sounds got closer.

"Doctor maybe we should leave," one of them suggested.

"No, I think it's safer if we just remain in here. The door is locked so we should be safe enough."

"Yaaaaahh!"

The three of them jumped as the scream came from just outside the room.

In the next moment there was aloud crash as the metal door was ripped from its casing and torn out. Two girls entered. One naked with red hair, the other dressed in a torn and bloodied yukata with silver hair.

"Lucy!" The doctor gasped.

Without warning the two nurses had their heads ripped from their bodies by invisible arms. Takada felt a hand take hold of his chest and slam him into the far wall. Ignoring both him and the two headless corpses Lucy ran over to the unconscious patient.

"Kouta! Kouta!" She wrapped her arms around him and hugged him as she cried. "I never thought I'd see you again! Are you okay? Kouta can you hear me?"

As Lucy was doing this the other girl shamelessly pulled up his hospital gown and took a quick peek.

"It's okay Lucy," the girl said cheerfully. "Kouta's still got his twig and berries, his meat and potatoes, his bike still has wheels, he's still a rooster not a hen, he…"

"I get it!" Lucy snapped. She turned back to him and placed a warm kiss on his cheek. "Kouta I'm so glad you're all right. If they'd hurt you I don't know what I'd do." Lifting him up off the operating table she carefully handed him over to Kahlua. "Take him back to the Inn and get all our things together. I'll meet you there in a little while."

Kahlua took him and easily slung him over one shoulder. "You're not coming with us?"

"I'll meet up with you, but I have a promise to fulfill first. Now get out of here and you had better protect him with your life."

"Oh like I'd let anything to my favorite meal plan." Kahlua looked at her with a rare expression of concern. "You sure you'll be okay though? There are still a lot of guards and you'll be on your own."

"Don't worry I won't be on my own long," Lucy told her with a grim sneer. "I'm going to let every dicloni in this place out of their cages. They'll burn this whole damn place down."

"Lucy you can't!" Takada said in horror.

Lucy looked over at him. "Get going Kahlua and keep Kouta safe."

"Okey dokey then, I'll see you soon."

Takada gasped as the girl and his patient just seemed to vanish before his eyes.

"What is that girl? She's not a diclinous. Is she some kind new mutation?"

"You have a lot of questions for someone in your position," Lucy said coldly. "I remember you Doctor Takada. You did a lot of the experiments on me."

He carefully licked his lips. "I doubt this means anything to you, but what I did I did to protect the human race."

"You're right, that doesn't mean a damn thing to me."

"I didn't think it would." He took a deep breath and readied himself. "Please kill me quickly."

Her smile was cruel and uncaring. "I remember saying those exact same words many times and you and the other butchers here never listened. I'm not going to kill you doctor."

"You're not?" He said in relief.

"No," she informed him. "But…"

He gasped as his pants and underwear were ripped off.

"Since my vector penetrated your body I guess you'll have to be sterilized."

Lucy quite enjoyed his screams as she did unto him what he'd been planning to do to Kouta.

XXX

Juuichi was chained to the wall like she always was when they weren't experimenting on her. She was a thirteen year old girl with coal black hair and an emaciated frame. She'd been brought here as a baby and had never known any other life than that of a lab rat. She'd woken up to the sounds of gunfire and screams. Beyond those was a reverberating high pitched siren that had been going on for awhile now. She had no idea what those sounds meant but they had her full attention.

When the doors to her room opened she rose quickly to her feet. She gasped in surprise when in walked a naked girl with red hair. The girl didn't have horns but Juuichi could sense that she was a diclinous like her.

"Who are you?" She asked.

"My name is Lucy," the other girl said as she strode over to the control panel by the door. A vector grabbed a couple levers and pulled them down.

The chain around her neck popped open and fell off.

"You're free now," the other girl told her. "Go kill every fucking human you can find and help me burn this place down. Then get away form here as fast as you can."

"What?" Juuichi asked stunned. She'd always longed for freedom but had absolutely no idea what was outside the facility's walls. "But where am I supposed to go?"

Lucy spared her a momentary glance over her shoulder as she quickly left to go onto the next cell. "Why would I care?"

XXX

"Where's poppa? Nana wants poppa!"

"I have no clue who your poppa is or where he is," Lucy told the girl. "Just get out there and kill everyone and then escape."

"No! I won't leave my poppa!" The strange girl knelt down right where she was and refused to move. "Nana is a good girl! She would never kill."

"Idiot," Lucy said contemptuously. "That's what we were born for."

The girl remained where she was and shook her head. "If Nana killed poppa would be ashamed of her."

"Suit yourself." If the fool girl wanted to stay in her cell that was her choice.

XXX

There were a total of thirty five cells in the facility. The thirty fifth and last cell was different from all the rest.

For one thing it was huge. It wasn't a room, it's dimensions were more along the lines of a warehouse. The controls were in a separate control room that overlooked the vast empty space below. All the way across from the control room was a vast twenty foot high steel door with '35' painted across it. The control room was located more than two hundred feet away but Lucy could still sense the immense power of the prisoner being held inside.

For a moment she considered not doing anything and just leaving. With all the others she'd set free she had no doubts that every last person in this place would be massacred. She almost regretted the thought that Kurama would surely be killed too. She would have let him live in order to make him suffer. At least he would know she'd been the one to cause all of this.

I told you I would take away everything you care about and burn this damn place to the ground, she thought. What she had done already would be more than enough to fulfill her promise, and it wasn't as though she actually cared about the other dicloni.

Still, she didn't think it would make sense to free the others and leave the strongest one a prisoner. She needed to experiment pulling at different levers and pushing different buttons until at last there was aloud warning horn and the mammoth door began to slide open.

Lucy gasped at what she saw.

It wasn't the image of a small figure covered in bandages and wearing a catheter connected to a hose. No, what made her gasp was seeing thirty vectors exiting the girl's body. "I think I should be going now." She suspected that one would not need any suggestions to start killing everything in sight and tearing the place down.

XXX

The halls were filled with smoke and the smell of blood.

Dicloni were wandering about torturing and killing all the people they could get their hands on whether they were guards, researchers, or helpless assistants. She heard pleas for mercy and cries as some of the dicloni decided to do a little 'experimenting.'

There were already fires and in the chaos she was certain there was no way they would be put out. This place was going to go up in flames. It would be one vast funeral pyre.

"I kept my promise."

XXX

Exiting one of the main halls she was in the facility's courtyard. She was actually surprised that there were no fire engines or police cars outside. Even with what was happening the facility had maintained its secrets to the end.

Using her vectors she flew across the bridge that connected the island to Kamakura. She needed to be with Kouta. As soon as he woke up she would tell him that she loved him. No matter how he reacted she had to tell him.

Crossing the bridge under the night sky she headed back to the Inn and the boy who she loved.


End file.
